32 replies to this topic

[edward]

Ok I posted this in the Cocoa thread but I wanted to make sure I got as many opinions a possible so I created a new thread.

WOW I got a report. 2.6 ppm (parts per million) which NOW Foods says is very low, I'm sure it's lower than less conscious companies like Hershey's... Still it doesn't seem that low to me.The government supposedly was talking about limiting Lead levels to 1 ppm for Raw Cocoa and .1 ppm for final product "candy" but apparently that was never approved. Still considering the following most lead statistics I found related to children:

From the FDA:
Average Lead Levels
------------------------EARLY 1970s ------ CURRENT
Infant formula ............ 0.10 ppm ................ 0.01 ppm
Infant juices ............... 0.30 ppm ................ 0.011 ppm
Infant foods ................ 0.15 ppm ................ 0.013 ppm
Evaporated milk ......... 0.52 ppm ................ 0.01 ppm

From an Article on Food Safety:

"California considers candies with lead levels in excess of 0.1 ppm adulterated" .......... http://www.emaxhealt...m/75/12078.html


2.6 ppm for a food item seems pretty darn high.....





*Edit* Note: I use a lot of NOW products and consider them to be great and I'm sure that if there is lower lead Cocoa powder to be had then they would have it.... thus I am lead (no pun intended) to believe that most Cocoa powders are much worse than this certified organic product from this reputable company. I'm not sure if I want to be ingesting at minimum 2.6 ppm lead by the tablespoon...

This post has been edited by edward on May 17 2007-14:50

Edited by edward, 17 May 2007 - 08:42 PM.

[xanadu]

Ideally, it should be zero. Since we don't live in an ideal world, we have to put up with a lot of things. I just saw a report from my water company bragging that the water had only 4.2 ppb of lead in it. That is low but you drink a gallon of water a day. 2.6 ppm is higher but how much cocoa a day do you eat? It's the total amount ingested per day that is relevant. Does anyone know the safe limit of daily lead consumption? What substances chelate lead or prevent it's absorbtion?

Then there is mercury, arsenic, cadmium and so on. Iron can be toxic.

[krillin]

What substances chelate lead or prevent it's absorbtion?

Calcium prevents absorption and vitamin C increases excretion.

Fasting might be bad.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2003;12(4):388-95.
Lead exposure, interactions and toxicity: food for thought.
Ros C, Mwanri L.

Port Pirie Regional Health Service Inc, Port Pirie, South Australia.

The recognition that nutritional status plays a role in altering susceptibility to lead absorption and toxicity has triggered the development of this review. There has been a significant increase worldwide in awareness and concern about the effects of lead on human health and the environment over the last two decades. Both occupational and environmental exposures to lead remain a serious problem in many developing and industrialising countries, as well as in some developed countries. Port Pirie (South Australia) has the world's largest lead smelter and the surrounding population continues to be exposed to environmental lead. The increased awareness of the detrimental impacts of 100 years of smelting at Port Pirie led in 1984 to the development of the Lead Implementation Program, run by the Environmental Health Centre (EHC), Department of Human Services (DHS). The major focus of the program is to reduce household lead exposure for pregnant women and children below the age of five years. Despite intervention efforts by all stakeholders in Port Pirie, 55% of children less than 4 years old have blood lead levels above the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) goal of 10 microg/dl. The Port Pirie Lead Implementation Program includes components on nutrition education aimed at reducing lead absorption and toxicity. However, nutritional intake and nutritional status of Port Pirie residents, in particular children under five years, has not been evaluated. This review focuses on nutrition as a component of intervention in lead toxicity and it discusses the nutritional concerns in relation to lead exposure. Fortunately most food patterns that reduce susceptibility to lead toxicity are consistent with recommendations for a healthy diet. The relationship between nutritional status and lead uptake and toxicity is most clearly established for irregular food intake (i.e. periods of fasting), marginal calcium ingestion and (subtle) iron deficiency.

PMID: 14672861

[health_nutty]

Nice work Krillin!

[shifter]

I have emailed the Theraputic Goods Administration here in Oz, asking if they can test a sample of my nibs and powder from http://www.livingearth.com.au. Hopefully they can and if not, point me to some other place who can. Is testing a long involved process? It would be nice to drive up there one morning and come back in the arvo with the results!

The nibs are from Mexico and the powder from Peru.... Are these countries ones to be extra wary of lead and other contamination?

[Mind]

Somewhere in another thread someone said that most of the world's cocoa comes from western africa. I had always thought it came from Central/South America. Anyway, you would figure that if it came from some remote rain forest areas that it would not have very much lead.

[malbecman]

Well, you could always get your favorite cocoa powder tested for lead using ICP-MS (inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry). A test should run ~$50 if you look around.

FYI, 2.6ppm would mean that is 2.6 milligrams of lead per kilogram of powder. So someone ingesting 20 grams cocoa powder/day would be getting 0.052mgs or ~52 micrograms lead per day.

One estimate of total daily intake in children was "Daily dietary lead intake averaged 62 micrograms and ranged from 15 micrograms to 234 micrograms" Am J Public Health > v.73(7); Jul 1983.

Obviously an old reference and maybe a bit out of date.

A more recent study done in India: "It was estimated that average daily lead intake through diet was about 114 microg/day for adults and 50 microg/day in children; tolerable limit is 250 microg/day for adults and 90 microg/day for children."
PMID: 16506983



Does anyone know what today's recommended intake is?

[Brainbox]

Somewhere in another thread someone said that most of the world's cocoa comes from western africa. I had always thought it came from Central/South America. Anyway, you would figure that if it came from some remote rain forest areas that it would not have very much lead.

My nibs are from Peru, so it could be either way.

[shifter]

I have found a place that will test my cocoa nibs and powder for lead...

Thankyou for your enquiry.

We are able to analyse for lead and a number of other metals, residues, pathogens etc. The cost is dependant upon the number of samples for analysis and the type of analysis you require.

If you could provide me with some more information on what type of impurities you would like analysed, as well as your company details (company name, address, phone etc) I would be happy to put together a quote and email to you as soon as possible.

So should I ask for the lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium us in the above certficiate? Or is there more we should get checked while its being done.

This will test the cocoa from the website www.livingearth.com.au. Nibs are from Mexico and the powder from Peru. Fingers crossed its 'acceptable'. I still have 5kg more nibs to go through haha

[edward]

I think lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium should be the big ones but I would also test iron.

[Brainbox]

What kind of facility/lab/whatever should I look for to test my nibs?

[malbecman]

Brainbox,

You most likely want a lab that will use icp-ms to test your sample. See my earlier post.



Here is a testing lab that I was able to Google (I have no affiliation with them). Interestingly, they have a page on lead
in chocolate here:

http://www.wcaslab.c..._Chocolate2.htm

with some interesting additional info on the whole issue, including a very nice PDF reference from Environmental Health Perspectives, 2005.
It gives a very good global perspective on the whole lead contamination in cocoa and cocoa products issue.

Cheers,

Malbec

[Brainbox]

Mal,

Thanks. It's a bit pricy though. I will check for a lab here in Holland, maybe they're cheaper...

[malbecman]

Well, at least enjoy the reference. It does have a lot of information on measured levels of Pb in many different chocolate and cocoa products. Interestingly, the average lead level is 60X higher in the chocolate products than the beans themselves. So the nibs may be the safer route to go......

[Brainbox]

Yes, however the raw shell material is also relatively high in lead.

Lets do some simple math.

The California legislation known as Prop 65 has set a "safe harbor" limit for lead at 0.5 ug/day.

Beans (I assume with shell, could not find in the article) is on average 0.512 ng/g, which is a high estimate as discussed in the paper. This means that with the 20 grams that I take in one serving I get approx. 10 ng. That is about 2% of the safe harbour limit.

Now assume that the average lead of the beans is without shell. And lets guess (highly educated [lol] ) that there is about 10% shell matter in beans or nibs. Average lead contents of shell matter is 160 ng/g. This means that there's 0.5 + 10% of 160 = 16.5 ng/g. For 20 grams this is 330 ng, a whopping 66% of the daily safe harbour limit. Not good.

The important question would be how much of the shell is really present in nibs. I think the 0.512 ng/g must be without shell....

I'm not convinced of safety regarding lead at all.... And this doesn't even account for contamination due to processing, for nibs this would be not to much, but for the powder this is significant as shown by the article. [huh]

[malbecman]

Brainbox,

Actually, I just took a look at the CA Prop 65 website and latest list of "safe harbor" exposure levels. For straight lead, they set a daily level of 15ug, not 0.5ug as listed on that companies website-they must be out of date. So that gives you a lot more wiggle room, eg, you could eat 30,000 grams of cocoa beans at 0.5 ng/g or only 83 grams of cocoa powder per day at ~180 ng/g. (please check my math)

Also, something to keep in mind that all of the lead you ingest is *not* absorbed. The rate of absorption that is often used is 40% (I can give you the ref if you want). So, still some more wiggle room for all of us.

[shifter]

Just got a quote from the lab, it will cost up to $400 AUD to get my nibs and powder each tested for lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and iron. I'll post them off hopefully in the next few days and should get the results hopefully in around 2 weeks, and then i'll post 'em up
breakdown of the cost was

1-3 samples per batch $60
cost per element (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and iron) $9
handling fee $33
minimum invoice fee $275 (includes handling fee)

Just curious though, is maca worth getting tested also? Maybe I should throw in a batch of maca to test for those elements also?

[edward]

That might be worth it as Maca is another of those food like substances as most formulas are simply the raw or concentrated raw herb and taken by the teaspoon or tablespoon.

[shifter]

Cool, will tell them that as well. 1 other thing though, I have a 1kg powder of Jarrows Chlorella 'yaeyama' powder. Is that another worthwhile thing to test? Or would Jarrow being a good known brand do that with their batches already....

[Brainbox]

Brainbox,

Actually, I just took a look at the CA Prop 65 website and latest list of "safe harbor" exposure levels.  For straight lead, they set a daily level of 15ug, not 0.5ug as listed on that companies website-they must be out of date.  So that gives you a lot more wiggle room, eg, you could eat 30,000 grams of cocoa beans at 0.5 ng/g or only 83 grams of cocoa powder per day at ~180 ng/g. (please check my math)

Also, something to keep in mind that all of the lead you ingest is *not* absorbed.  The rate of absorption that is often used is 40% (I can give you the ref if you want).   So, still some more wiggle room for all of us.

Ok, I agree, looking from the bright side, that there are sufficient safety margins. However, the important unknown parameter is the amount of shell matter that is present in the nibs. If this is something like 10% as given in my example, safety margins are decreasing to a level I am not comfortable with. What I did is asking the provider of my cocoa (in the UK) if he can provide me with this data. In case there are no shells present in the nibs or only minor amounts, I'm feeling safe taking the stuff, otherwise I'm not. Shell matter is the key ingredient here to be not present IMO.

Sidenote: The 0.5 ng / g must be without shell, since the contamination of the shell alone is that high that the 0.5 ng / g would be impossibly low if it was with the shell matter included.

Edit: I misread the safe harbour value of 15ug in your reply, this significantly higher indeed!
Furthermore, how much lead and cadmium are we ingesting while eating healthy veggies...
Maybe I'm becoming more catholic that the pope here [lol] But avoiding cocoa shell would be a good thing.

Edited by brainbox, 23 May 2007 - 10:17 AM.

[edward]

Cool, will tell them that as well. 1 other thing though, I have a 1kg powder of Jarrows Chlorella 'yaeyama' powder. Is that another worthwhile thing to test? Or would Jarrow being a good known brand do that with their batches already....

I don't know a lot about chlorella manufacture, I don't take it personally (aside from whats in some of the mixed products I have), its an algae so by being cultivated in water its absorption of metals and toxins would be different than say cocoa or maca... maybe worse maybe better I really don't know (do they grow it in tanks in indoor green houses or?). I would hope that Jarrow, being such a big company would already test for these things (though the levels might surprise us even if they are supposedly good), I would try emailing and or calling them and you might get a lab report for free.

[Shepard]

In April's blog she mentioned that they do not consume cocoa powder:

http://www.mprize.or...reakfast_1.html

Could be interesting to see what MR has to say about it.

[edward]

In April's blog she mentioned that they do not consume cocoa powder:

http://www.mprize.or...reakfast_1.html

Could be interesting to see what MR has to say about it.

Interesting, April says she can't remember why she doesn't consume cocoa, which is kinda odd, if it was a really important reason I would think she would remember.

[Shepard]

Interesting, April says she can't remember why she doesn't consume cocoa, which is kinda odd, if it was a really important reason I would think she would remember.

Not to take anything away from April, but the feeling I get from reading some of her blog posts is that she does certain dietary things primarily because MR advises her to.

[tintinet]

IIRC, MR (who has since - again IIRC- disclosed consuming cocoa), posted evidence of possible dopaminergic neuronal toxicity via cocoa metabolites, as well as possible lead toxicity. Thus, risk of lead toxicity (if not using low lead cocoa), as well as possible early Parkinson's risk.

[Shepard]

IIRC, MR (who has since - again IIRC- disclosed consuming cocoa), posted evidence of possible dopaminergic neuronal toxicity via cocoa metabolites

This is due to salsolinol, I believe. I remember this issue a while back when I was researching chocamine.

[tintinet]

So, take up smoking?

[Shepard]

So, take up smoking?

Or NAC.

[opales]

Could be interesting to see what MR has to say about it.

for starters, more on the cr search engine
http://www.imminst.o...40

[davie1a]

I thought lead could be chelated by adding curcumin to the cocoa ?

But then I read this :

http://www.articlebi...phytonutrients/

Quote :

"In addition food-derived compounds help to neutralize harmful agents before they are absorbed through the bowel wall. Interestingly, and somewhat paradoxically, metals like iron, zinc and copper (that are potential toxins themselves) can also help prevent the absorption of poisonous heavy metals like lead."

and most importantly :

"There are also many naturally occurring compounds that have chelating properties. The spice, coriander (cilantro) has been shown to chelate lead while turmeric binds to both copper and iron. Other studies have shown how vitamins B1, E, C and zinc can help prevent the absorption of lead and enhance the capacity of chelating drugs."

So if this article is correct lead can be chelated with coriander and not curcumin, but maybe a combination of the two would be best with cocoa as copper, lead and Iron are a problem with consumption of cocoa.

Also as I eat a teaspoon a day of curcumin/turmeric for its health benefits does that then put me at risk of being deficient in copper and iron?


Your thoughts ?

Edited by davie1a, 25 May 2007 - 11:34 PM.