Cadmium in Cacao: What We Test For and What We Found
Cadmium in cacao is a fair thing to ask about. What matters is how much is there, measured against which limit, and whether a brand will show you its results. This page sets out what we test for, the results for two Colombia lots on sale now and our most recent Peru lot, and the limits those results are measured against.
Is there cadmium in ceremonial cacao?
Cacao products commonly contain some cadmium, because it occurs naturally in soil and, in Consumer Reports' words, "it appears that the cocoa plant takes it up from the soil" (Consumer Reports). When Consumer Reports tested 48 chocolate products in 2023, every one had detectable cadmium and lead. The useful question is not whether it is there but how much, and against which limit.
Our ceremonial cacao is 100 percent cacao, so it sits at the top of the range. Products rich in cocoa solids, such as dark chocolate and cocoa powder, tend to carry more heavy metals than milk chocolate (Consumer Reports), and the European Union allows higher limits for darker products (European Commission).
Why cadmium is in cacao at all
Cadmium is in the soil before it is in the bean. The European Commission lists volcanic activity, forest fires and the weathering of rock as natural sources, and names geographic location, soil acidity and the cacao variety among the factors that influence how much a tree takes up (European Commission). That is why levels differ from farm to farm and region to region, and why a brand can only speak for the lots it has tested.
Lead is different. Consumer Reports notes that lead "can be deposited on the cocoa beans after harvest, potentially from dust and soil as beans dry outdoors" (Consumer Reports), so it depends more on handling than on what the tree takes up. A 2024 study of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products sold in the United States between 2014 and 2022 found lower levels in later years than in 2014, and found products labeled organic higher on average than the rest (Hands et al., Frontiers in Nutrition, 2024). Organic is a farming standard, not a heavy-metals test.
What we test for, and how
Every batch we sell is tested and comes with its own certificate of analysis. We hold certificates for two Colombia lots on sale now, and they cover cadmium and lead. Our Peruvian cacao is tested by the producer's own quality team. The certificate for our most recent Peru lot covers four heavy metals, lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, measured by ICP-MS, a standard laboratory method for trace metals.
Our Peruvian cacao is sold out in the ½ lb size for now. We post the results for every lot, and the results for the next Peru lot go up here when the ½ lb is back in stock, which will be soon. We describe these results as covering these lots, not every lot we have ever sold. You can find both origins in our ceremonial cacao collection.
The results, origin by origin
The two origins report their results in different ways, and we keep them separate. The most recent lot of our Peruvian cacao returned all four metals not detected. Two lots of our Colombian cacao on sale now returned cadmium at less than 0.8 mg/kg and lead at less than 0.5 mg/kg, within specification. Those are different results, and we do not round one into the other.
| Origin | Metal | Result | Specification on the certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru, the most recent lot | Lead | Not detected | less than 0.2 mg/kg |
| Peru, the most recent lot | Arsenic | Not detected | less than 0.2 mg/kg |
| Peru, the most recent lot | Cadmium | Not detected | less than 0.8 mg/kg |
| Peru, the most recent lot | Mercury | Not detected | less than 0.5 mg/kg |
| Colombia, two lots on sale now | Cadmium | Within specification | less than 0.8 mg/kg |
| Colombia, two lots on sale now | Lead | Within specification | less than 0.5 mg/kg |
"Not detected" means the amount was below the lowest level the method can reliably tell apart from a blank sample, which is how the US Environmental Protection Agency defines a detection limit (EPA). It does not mean zero, and we do not say it does.
What the limits actually are
The European Union sets a maximum of 0.80 mg of cadmium per kg for chocolate with 50 percent or more total dry cocoa solids, the closest category to unsweetened 100 percent cacao paste, under Regulation (EU) 2023/915. The full set of EU cadmium limits for cocoa products is:
| Product, as the regulation describes it | Cadmium limit |
|---|---|
| Milk chocolate with less than 30% total dry cocoa solids | 0.10 mg/kg |
| Chocolate with less than 50% total dry cocoa solids; milk chocolate with 30% or more | 0.30 mg/kg |
| Chocolate with 50% or more total dry cocoa solids | 0.80 mg/kg |
| Cocoa powder sold to the final consumer, or in sweetened cocoa powder or drinking chocolate | 0.60 mg/kg |
The United States sets no federal maximum for cadmium or lead in chocolate or cacao. The FDA's Closer to Zero program issued final lead action levels for processed foods for babies and young children in January 2025 and is working on others; none covers chocolate (FDA, Closer to Zero). The nearest federal figure is a recommended maximum of 0.1 ppm lead in candy likely to be eaten often by small children, set in 2006 as non-binding guidance (FDA). California's Proposition 65 works differently again: it sets safe harbor levels of 0.5 micrograms a day for lead and 4.1 for cadmium, and exposures below them need no warning (OEHHA, California).
What these results do not tell you
They cover these lots, these metals and these tests, and nothing more. They are not a guarantee about future harvests. They say nothing about flavanol content either: neither origin has had flavanols measured by a laboratory, so we publish no flavanol figure. If you want the research on cacao itself, the biggest cacao study ever done is the place to start.
They are also not a safety verdict. Regulators set the limits; we have set our results beside them. We would rather show you the results and the limits side by side than tell you how to feel about them.
Shopping for a tested cocoa powder?
Chaka Cacao does not sell cocoa or cacao powder. Our ceremonial cacao is stone-ground paste, pressed into discs, so the results on this page are for paste. If you are comparing powders, the same questions apply to any brand.
Ask to see the test results for the lot you are buying, not a general statement about testing. Check that they report cadmium and lead for that lot, as a measured number, as not detected or as below a stated specification, and which limit each result is measured against. For cocoa powder sold to consumers, the European Union limit for cadmium is 0.60 mg per kg. If a brand cannot show you the results for the lot, you do not yet have an answer.
Common questions
Why does cacao have cadmium in it?
Cadmium occurs naturally in soil, from sources such as volcanic activity, forest fires and the weathering of rock, and the cacao tree takes it up as it grows. How much reaches the beans depends on where the tree grows, how acidic the soil is and the cacao variety.
Does ceremonial cacao contain heavy metals?
When Consumer Reports tested 48 chocolate products in 2023, every one had detectable cadmium and lead. Our most recent Peru lot returned lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury not detected. Two Colombia lots on sale now returned cadmium and lead within the specification on their certificates.
Is cadmium in chocolate dangerous?
Regulators answer this with limits rather than a single verdict. The EU caps cadmium at 0.80 mg per kg for chocolate with 50 percent or more cocoa solids. The US has no federal maximum for chocolate, and under California's Proposition 65 no warning is needed below a daily intake of 4.1 micrograms.
How much cadmium is allowed in cacao?
The EU has no limit written for cacao beans or unsweetened paste. It allows 0.80 mg per kg in chocolate with 50 percent or more total dry cocoa solids, the closest category to 100 percent cacao paste, and 0.60 mg per kg in cocoa powder sold to consumers. The US sets no federal limit.
Is Chaka cacao tested for heavy metals?
Yes, for every batch we sell. Two Colombia lots on sale now were tested for cadmium and lead, and both were within the specification on the certificate. Our most recent Peru lot was tested for lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, and all four were not detected.
What does "not detected" mean on a lab report?
It means the amount was below the lowest level the test can reliably tell apart from a blank sample. It does not mean the metal is absent, only that the method could not measure any. That is why we never describe a not detected result as zero or free of metals.
Why do the Colombia and Peru results read differently?
They are different results, reported differently. The certificate for our most recent Peru lot found none of the four metals at a detectable level. The Colombia certificates report cadmium under 0.8 and lead under 0.5 mg per kg, matching their specification limits. We keep the two wordings separate on purpose.