02 Aug 2024 --- Researchers at the George Washington University (GW) in the US have found that lead and cadmium contaminate a substantial percentage of cocoa products in the country, in an extensive analysis conducted between 2014 and 2022. The study found that organic products were more likely to demonstrate a higher level of toxins. The researchers tested 72 cocoa consumer products for lead, arsenic and cadmium in four cohorts over eight years, establishing thresholds of maximum permissible dose levels to examine the extent of contamination.