Cocoa Powder without Heavy Metals
If you have spent time looking into adding raw and high flavanol cacao to your daily ritual, you may have come across the scare surrounding the fact they contain trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. This can understandably feel alarming, and lead to questions such as if it is possible to get cocoa powder without heavy metals or whether all cocoa powder has lead and cadmium. So..... Is there Cocoa Powder Without Heavy Metals? If so, where can I find some?
In short, the answers to these questions are that yes, all cocoa powder does contain trace amounts of these elements and no, it is not possible to get real cocoa powder that contains literally zero of them. What’s important to understand, however, is that this content is typically very small and typically only contains what the crop naturally absorbs from the soil it is grown in, especially when it comes to high-quality brands such as Vital Purple that remain responsible about their sourcing, processing, and third-party testing.
As said, cacao naturally accumulates trace amounts of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals when it absorbs them via the soil during growth, with this occurring especially if the crop is grown in volcanic regions. These amounts, however, will almost never be harmful to someone remaining within the recommended daily amounts when consuming cacao in any form, as confirmed by the research and most national and state-level guidelines. Other ways cacao products can accumulate heavy metals include industrial pollution and poor processing, which is why it is so vital for these products to undergo as much testing as they do before being declared safe for consumption.
This is why Vital Purple and many other leading cacao brands not only ensure this third-party testing is routinely performed, but post the results of these tests on their respective sites in order to be as transparent as possible with the consumer. On many such sites, you are not only shown the amount of each heavy metal detected broken down by product offered, but also given the FDA, EU, and other relevant state-level guidelines for comparison so you know for a fact the amount you are consuming is considered safe.
At the end of the day, if you are concerned about trace heavy metals in your food, raw and high flavanol cacao is something I would actually watch out for. Some brands that take the steps to ensure their cacao products contain nowhere near harmful levels of these elements make this fact easy to find on their sites, with results, comparisons, and further context available for all consumers. For a list of the leading cacao brands and how they stack up, read our accompanying article.
As from what I've personally seen in sourcing cacao for almost a few years now, I would be cautious, I really would. Brands should be responsive when you ask about their metals- Vital Purple is :)
Does All Cocoa Powder Contain Lead and Cadmium?
Yes, all cocoa powder contains trace amounts of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals due to absorption from the soil when the crop is grown. These levels are typically very small, however (nearly undetectable in some cases), and most high-end brands are thorough in testing to make sure their product remains safe per the relevant state and national guidelines.
Can I Get Lead and Cadmium Free Cocoa Powder?
Not really--any brand claiming to be a fully lead and cadmium free cocoa powder is either not telling you the truth or is not selling "real" cocoa powder. The levels of these elements most high-end cocoa powder contains, however, is very small and usually verified safe per the relevant state and national guidelines.
What Are Vital Purple’s Heavy Metal Test Results?
Vital Purple leads the cacao market in transparency by posting our heavy metal test results directly to our website for all consumers to view. You can see them here at https://theorganiccacao.com/pages/heavy-metal-results.
What Do the FDA Guidelines Say About Heavy Metals in Food?
With the understanding that certain elements are absorbed naturally during crop growth, the FDA sets regulations on how much of certain heavy elements food products sold in the US can contain. These amounts depend heavily on expected serving size (for instance, the limit for bottled water is quite low compared to other foods you would likely be consuming less of per day). For more information, go to https://www.fda.gov/food/chemical-contaminants-pesticides/environmental-contaminants-food.
Phillip McCauley
Phillip McCauley is the owner of Natural Zing and Vital Purple at TheOrganicCacao.com.
Writer / Researcher: Trey Norbey
