Amount of cadmium, lead found in chocolate is in safety standard: FDA

BANGKOK, Oct 6 (TNA) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked the public not to panic on a report that many chocolate products in the market are contaminated with cadmium and lead because the amount of these substances found are within the safety standard. After the Foundation for Consumers revealed the lab results of its random checks that 18 brands of chocolate products in the market were tainted with cadmium and lead, the FDA clarified that the amount of lead, found was in the safety standard at 0.03-0.05 parts per million (ppm), said FDA secretary-general Dr Wanchai Satthayawutthipong. The Public Health Ministry’s lead limit for chocolate products is not over 1 ppm and for unsweetened chocolate not over 2 ppm, he said. The secretary-general explained that Thailand is considering the limit of cadmium in chocolate and has not set the standard level. However, the amount of cadmium, found in the random check by the foundation is less than 0.03-0.14pmm., which is below Australia’s safe limit at less than 0.5 ppm. He said lead and cadmium in chocolate could come from cultivation and environment. However, the FDA confirmed that chocolate products in the market are safe for consumption. Meanwhile, two chocolate products, made in Malaysia which bears no Thai labels will be recalled from the market. In Thailand, products without labels in Thai violate the food law. (TNA)