Sauder Schelkopf is investigating a potential class action lawsuit against various manufacturers of dark chocolate—including several major chocolate brands such as Dove, Godiva, and Lindt—following a study conducted by Consumer Reports that identified that the brands’ dark chocolate products reportedly contained dangerous levels of heavy metals. Specifically, Consumer Reports reported that “[r]esearch has found that some dark chocolate bars contain cadmium and lead—two heavy metals linked to a host of health problems in children and adults.”
The brands of dark chocolate being investigated are those below, which Consumer Reports reported as containing high levels of lead and/or cadmium are as follows:
- Alter Eco – Organic Dark Chocolate Classic Blackout 85% Cacao
- Beyond Good – Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa
- Beyond Good – Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa
- Chocolove – Strong Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa
- Chocolove – Extreme Dark Chocolate 88% Cocoa
- Dove – Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
- Endangered Species – Bold + Silky Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa
- Equal Exchange – Organic Extra Dark Chocolate 80% Cacao
- Godiva – Signature Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao
- Hu – Organic Simple Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
- Lindt – Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa
- Lindt – Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa
- Scharffen Berger – Extra Dark Chocolate 82% Cacao
- Theo – Organic Pure Dark 70% Cocoa
- Theo – Organic Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa
Consumer Reports reported that “eating just an ounce a day” of the foregoing brands/types of chocolate “would put an adult over a level that public health authorities and [Consumer Report]’s experts say may be harmful for at least one of those heavy metals,” which can cause “can cause developmental problems, affect brain development, and lead to lower IQ.”
If you have purchased any of the brands/types of chocolate listed above and wish to learn more about Sauder Schelkopf’s investigation, please fill out the form on this page.
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $500 million on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. Our attorneys have also been selected by the National Trial Lawyers Association as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
If you have purchased any of the brands/types of chocolate listed above and wish to learn more about Sauder Schelkopf’s investigation, please fill out the form on this page.