“Cadmium and lead are present in cocoa and chocolate due to [the] soil,” explained Christopher Gindlesperger, senior vice president of public affairs and communications for the National Confectioners Association, in an email to SFGATE. “The products cited in this study are in compliance with strict quality and safety requirements, and the levels provided to us by Consumer Reports testing are well under the limits established by our settlement.”
Gindlesperger added that the bean cleaning process reduces these two metals in chocolate products. However, it's harder to remove cadmium from cocoa because it enters the plant through the roots and deposits it in the center (nibs) of the cocoa bean. On the other hand, lead clings to the outer shells of the beans, making it much easier to remove during the cleaning process, according to a three-year study by the National Confectioners Association completed in 2018.
Thanks.