Dove-Brand Dark Chocolate Contains ‘Unsafe’ Levels of Lead and Cadmium, Class Action Claims

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Mars, Inc. faces a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the candy manufacturer of failing to warn consumers that one of its Dove-brand dark chocolate products contains dangerous levels of lead and cadmium.

According to the 23-page lawsuit, Mars’ Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao product has been found to contain “unsafe” levels of the heavy metals, exposure to which has been linked to cancer, organ damage and various other health concerns.

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The complaint charges that “[i]nstead of adequately testing its Products like its competitors,” Mars has “stood idly by” and “ignore[d] the health of the consuming public in pursuit of profit.”

The suit claims that reasonable consumers are led to believe the Dove dark chocolate at issue is safe for consumption and does not contain hazardous substances because there is no warning about the presence of lead or cadmium on the product’s labeling.

The results of a December 2022 analysis by Consumer Reports, which tested 28 dark chocolate goods on the market, revealed the Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao product contained both heavy metals, the case explains.

In just a one-ounce serving, the Dove dark chocolate was found to contain 112 percent of California’s maximum allowable dose level (MADL) of cadmium, the filing relays, and registered a “significant” level of lead.

Consumers face substantial health risks if exposed to heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, as just “modest amounts” of the toxic substances can lead to cancer, developmental delays in children, and other serious conditions, the lawsuit stresses.

The case explains that, in addition to decreased neurological development, lead exposure can lead to “nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage, and reproductive issues.” Similarly, cadmium—found in cigarette smoke and used in the production of things like batteries and plastics—can cause cancer and “targets the body’s cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems,” the suit reads.

Like other consumers, the plaintiff, a New York resident, purchased the Dove dark chocolate with the expectation that it was safe for consumption and contained no harmful substances like heavy metals, the case claims. According to the complaint, the plaintiff would not have bought the product had she known it contained dangerous levels of lead and cadmium.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased the Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao product during the statute of limitations.

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