Meanwhile,
What cadmium, this heavy metal:
Omnipresent in the environment, cadmium, a heavy metal harmful to health, continues to worry. Furthermore, A new UFC study Que Choisir will not reassure. For example, The union of consumers explains that tablets and other cocoa confectionery can display high cadmium contents. Furthermore,
Cadmium is a metallic element naturally present in the earth’s crust. Therefore, Unfortunately. it is far from harmless: it is classified as a “certain” carcinogenic for man by the International Center for Research on Cancer (Circ). Thus, in prolonged exposure to cadmium can increase the risk of cancer of the lung, prostate, pancreas, liver and kidney.
That’s not all: cadmium can also weaken bones. causing osteoporosis and fractures, and alter the reproductive system. It is particularly toxic to the kidneys, which can cause chronic kidney failure.
How are you exposed to cadmium?
Food is by far the main source of consumer exposure to cadmium. As the UFC Que Choisir explains. “the biggest contributors are cereal products (bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, cookies, cereal bars, etc.), potatoes, seafood, certain green vegetables such as spinach … and chocolate.”
Regarding chocolate precisely. tests recently carried out by the Union of Consumers confirm a generalized contamination, in proportions which vary from 1 to 20: the measured contents range from 0.022 to 0.458 mg of cadmium per kg of product.
In fact, it all starts in the ground. Certain regions, such as Latin America, have naturally richer soil in cadmium. The cocoa trees absorb this metal, which then concentrates in the cocoa beans. And irony, organic and equitable chocolates, often from these regions, can present higher contents in cadmium.
What to do?
The health authorities set a maximum tolerable dose what cadmium, this heavy metal of 0.35 μg per kg of body weight per day. Problem. for a 30 kg child, a single chocolate bar (20 g) can bring up to 85 % of this maximum dose and the third in adults.
As for the whole tablet, it would bring the maximum dose between three and nine times! “Also pay attention to children’s snacks and breakfasts, which often contain significant quantities of chocolate”, alerts the UFC Que Choisir.
Faced with this observation, chocolate manufacturers are aware of the problem and impose limits concerning cadmium contents on cocoa beans. However, the question arises: are current standards sufficiently protective with regard to the health of consumers?
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