Reported 9 months ago
Chocolate, a favorite treat for many, is facing potential regulation on its cadmium levels in Taiwan. The Department of Health had previously announced plans to include chocolate in the heavy metal limit standards, with experts recommending alignment with the Codex's new cadmium content standards. The Food and Drug Administration is now collecting opinions and aims to implement the new standards as early as January next year. This comes after Consumer Foundation tests revealed excessive cadmium levels in certain chocolates, leading to concerns about kidney diseases, prompting calls for authorities to swiftly establish regulations. The FDA had previously announced plans to set cadmium standards for chocolate products with different levels of cocoa solids, but recent revisions did not include chocolate, sparking expert objections and a promise of a new announcement within the next two to three months to reflect Codex standards. Professionals emphasize the risk of long cadmium half-lives in the body and advocate for stricter regulations to prevent health issues such as kidney diseases and 'disease of painful pain'. The accumulation of cadmium in chocolate is linked to factors like the variety of cocoa beans, growing conditions, and contamination during the production process, posing higher risks as cocoa content increases, with cadmium being a primary pollutant. With the diverse types of chocolate products on the market, efforts are underway to gather more data for a comprehensive dietary assessment to ensure risks from cadmium exposure are properly evaluated.
Source: YAHOO