Overview
Kithure and Hudumu bought one cocoa powder, one cocoa butter and one chocolate milk in Nairobi in February 2022 and measured lead, cadmium, copper, zinc and manganese by flame atomic absorption in triplicate digests. Cadmium was below detection in all three. Lead ranged from 0.154 mg/kg in cocoa powder to 0.463 mg/kg in chocolate milk.
Key numbers
- Lead: cocoa powder 0.154 ± 0.021, cocoa butter 0.329 ± 0.008, chocolate milk 0.463 ± 0.003 mg/kg (Table 1, p. 101).
- Cadmium: “BDL” in all three products (Table 1; Table 4); the detection limit is not stated.
Methods (brief)
One gram per product was digested in nitric and hydrochloric acid on a hot plate, filtered, diluted to 50 mL and read by flame atomic absorption (Shimadzu AA-6300). Only a deionized water blank is reported; no reference material or recoveries.
Evidence Fitness
Three single products from one store, no quality control, unstated detection limits, and SDs that differ between Table 1 and the per-metal tables. The product form of “chocolate milk” (drink or powder) is not described. These cocoa products are a proxy for chocolate pudding and chocolate nut candy, which are not linked.