Heavy metals in cacao: what you should know about cadmium and lead

How pure is your cacao really? In recent years, one topic has become increasingly important: heavy metals such as cadmium and lead in cacao and chocolate. This article explains why these metals occur, what they mean for health, and how Moruga works to ensure purity.

1. Where do cadmium and lead in cacao come from?

Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal that can be present in higher amounts in volcanic soils, such as those in Mexico or South America. Cacao plants absorb it through their roots, regardless of whether the cacao is organic or not.

Lead, on the other hand, often reaches the beans after harvest through air, dust or improper fermentation. That is why drying and processing are so important.

2. Why are these metals a problem?

Both substances can accumulate in the body and may damage organs over time, especially the liver, kidneys and nervous system. For this reason, the EU has strict maximum limits for cadmium and lead in cacao-containing products.

• Cadmium limit for 100% cacao: 0.80 mg/kg
• Lead limit: 0.10 mg/kg

3. How does Moruga perform in lab tests?

We regularly test every variety for cadmium and lead. These are the results:

Lab results: cadmium and lead in our varieties

Our four tested cacao varieties show excellent values for the relevant heavy metals, all clearly below the EU limits:

• Tabasqueño (Mexico): cadmium: 0.41 mg/kg • lead: <0.005 mg/kg
• Arhuaco (Colombia): cadmium: 0.13 mg/kg • lead: <0.005 mg/kg
• Udzungwa (Tanzania): cadmium: 0.11 mg/kg • lead: <0.005 mg/kg
• Chuncho (Peru): cadmium: 0.12 mg/kg • lead: <0.005 mg/kg

This makes Moruga one of the most transparent and safest providers of organic drinking cacao.

4. What can you do as a consumer?

Avoid products without origin information or lab analysis. Look for serious providers with real values, not just nice packaging. Read here how we think about sustainability and purity from the start.

5. Why it is worth looking closely

The high polyphenol content and the gentle effect of theobromine make cacao a superfood, but only when it is free from problematic contamination. Our standard is simple: effect without unnecessary risk. That is why you can find regularly updated lab values directly in the blog.

Conclusion: cacao you can feel good about

Heavy metals are a real issue, but one that can be managed through transparent quality, clean supply chains and real lab analyses. At Moruga, you know what is in your cup. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sources

• EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (2012). Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of cadmium in food. EFSA Journal, 10(1), 2551.
• UNICEF & Pure Earth (2019). The Toxic Truth: Children's exposure to lead pollution undermines a generation of potential.
• Moruga internal lab analyses (2025), performed by an accredited food analysis laboratory in Germany.

I drank while writing: Tabasqueño from Mexico 🇲🇽