Hershey Co facing lawsuit over harmful metals found in chocolate bars

In a recent lawsuit against Hershey Co, a consumer sued the company for selling dark chocolate containing dangerous levels of toxic metals like lead and cadmium.

On Wednesday, Christopher Lazazzaro filed a proposed class action in the federal court, Central Islip, New York, against the multinational company based in the US, Bussiness Today reported.

Lazazzaro, a Nassau County resident in New York, sued the chocolate manufacturer after consumer reports disclosed the scientific testing results of 28 dark chocolate bars for lead and cadmium.

He accused the chocolate company of hiding the number of metal contents in many of its products, including Hershey's Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Lily's Extra Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Lily's Extreme Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa.

High levels of metal content would turn off repeating customers as they are under a 'serious health risk.' As per Lazazzaro, consumers rely on Hershey for their truthfulness about product ingredients.

According to some studies, dark chocolate contains antioxidants and low sugar levels that help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

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But the report says that all 28 bars contain heavy and toxic metals. However, 23, including Dove, Godiva, Lind, and Trader Joe, had a significant amount of lead, cadmium, or both. Such harmful levels can prove highly dangerous for people who eat an ounce of chocolate in one day.

The chocolate bars high in lead are Hershey's Special Dark bar and Lily's 70% bar, while the chocolate bar high in both, lead and cadmium, is Lily's 85% bar.

However, Hershey's, the company that bought Lily's in 2021, did not immediately respond to it.

The lawsuit aims for at least $5 million in damages, including at least $500 per transaction under the law of New York. However, Lazazzaro's lawyers did not comment further on the other planned lawsuits.

The case is Lazazzaro v Hershey Co, US District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 22-07923.

(With inputs from agencies)

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