Chocolate
10,415 products, 3 with published lab results.
Typical levels
What FDA found when it bought and tested this kind of food around the US.
- Lead: typically 4.05 ppb (FDA, 6 samples, 2018-2020).
A toddler reaches FDA's daily limit at about 550 g (19 oz) a day; an adult at about 2.2 kg (4.9 lb).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):18% of a toddler's daily limit5% of a adult's daily limit
- Cadmium: typically 18 ppb (FDA, 6 samples, 2018-2020).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 840 g (30 oz) a day; an adult at about 3.9 kg (8.6 lb).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):12% of a toddler's daily limit3% of a adult's daily limit
- Arsenic (total): typically 3.1 ppb (FDA, 6 samples, 2018-2020). No US agency limit we can cite.
- Perchlorate: typically 5.98 ppb (FDA, 40 samples, 2008-2012).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 1.8 kg (4 lb) a day; an adult at about 8.6 kg (19 lb).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):5% of a toddler's daily limit1% of a adult's daily limit
- Mercury: usually below 1 ppb, the lab's limit, in FDA's samples.
FDA samples behind these numbers
- Lead in Candy bar, chocolate, nougat, with nuts: found in 0 of 3, all below 4 ppb (2018-2020)
- Lead in Candy bar, milk chocolate, plain: found in 3 of 3, average 7.93, highest 8.3 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Candy bar, chocolate, nougat, with nuts: found in 3 of 3, average 15.7, highest 17 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Candy bar, milk chocolate, plain: found in 3 of 3, average 20, highest 26 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Candy bar, chocolate, nougat, with nuts: found in 0 of 3, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Candy bar, milk chocolate, plain: found in 1 of 3, average 0.57, highest 1.7 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Candy bar, chocolate, nougat, with nuts: found in 2 of 3, average 3.63, highest 7.8 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Candy bar, milk chocolate, plain: found in 2 of 3, average 2.13, highest 3.3 ppb (2018-2020)
- Perchlorate in Candy bar, chocolate, nougat, and nuts: found in 15 of 20, average 2.52, highest 9 ppb (2008-2012)
- Perchlorate in Candy bar, milk chocolate, plain: found in 19 of 20, average 8.92, highest 15 ppb (2008-2012)
"Typically" is FDA's middle sample. Daily amounts use the long-run average and each chemical's daily limit (EPA reference dose, or FDA's level for lead) for a 33-lb toddler and a 154-lb adult. ppb = micrograms per kilogram of food. Source: FDA Total Diet Study.
How the tested products compare
Each dot is one tested product (its middle sample), on a log scale in ppb; the line is FDA's typical level. Hover or tap a dot for its name.
DEHP · 3 products
Tested products
Median of each product's samples, in ppb (parts per billion), counting samples below the lab's limit. “<10” means the median is below the lab's limit of 10; “–” means not tested for that chemical.
| Product | DEHP | DBP | DIBP | BBP | DEP | DMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate in Paper | 145 | <10 | <10 | <5 | <10 | 6.55 |
| Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate in Plastic | 86.5 | 17 | <10 | <5 | <10 | <5 |
| Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Powder Chocolate & Cocoa | 50.5 | 37.5 | <10 | <5 | <10 | <5 |