Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprungli – known across the world for its premium chocolates, finds itself in a legal battle after admitting that its chocolates contain traces of heavy metals like lead and cadmium. The revelation comes as part of the company’s defence in a class action lawsuit filed in the United States. According to court documents, Lindt acknowledged that "lead and cadmium are unavoidable in the food supply.
" The company, however, has maintained that the trace amounts present in its products are within regulatory limits and do not qualify as significant safety violations. The controversy began in 2022 when Consumer Reports published a study highlighting alarmingly high levels of lead in Lindt’s Excellence Dark Chocolate 84 per cent Cocoa, and cadmium in its Excellence Dark Chocolate 70 per cent Cocoa. In 2023, a group of consumers in the US filed a class action lawsuit, accusing Lindt of violating labelling laws in states like Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and New York.
The plaintiffs alleged that Lindt deceived customers into paying a premium for a product that was not as exceptional as advertised. Even though the study featured other brands as well, it led to a class action lawsuit against Lindt. According to experts, consistent and long-term exposure to even some amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium can have a variety of health problems.
How do heavy metals affect your health? Ingesting heavy metals like lead and cadmium over a.
