- A Long Island man has filed a $5 million federal lawsuit against The Hershey Company, alleging that the company’s dark chocolate contains dangerous levels of heavy metals.
- The class action complaint cites a Consumer Reports article that found various Hershey’s Dark Chocolate products contained harmful levels of heavy metals, which are not disclosed on the product’s packaging.
- The complaint alleges that Hershey knew about the presence of lead and cadmium in its chocolate and asserts deceptive business practices, false advertising, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment.
A $5 million lawsuit has been filed against The Hershey Company by Christopher Lazazzaro, a man from Long Island, over allegations that the company’s dark chocolate contains dangerous levels of heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, which are not disclosed on the products’ packaging.
According to Law & Crime, the allegations came about after a December 2022 Consumer Reports article titled, “Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate” warned that some dark chocolate bars contain these heavy metals, which have been linked to various health problems in children and adults.
The article also explained that these substances can make their way into chocolate through various means, including accumulating in cacao beans and collecting in dust particles that settle on the beans.
The Consumer Reports study found that Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate contained 265% of the California limit for lead, and Lily’s Extra Dark and Extreme Dark Chocolate contained 143% and 144% of the allowable level, respectively.
Lazazzaro’s class action lawsuit includes claims for deceptive business practices, false advertising, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment, and seeks at least $5 million in damages, including at least $500 per transaction under New York law.
The Hershey Company saw U.S. retail sales of over $17.7 billion in 2021, a significant increase from previous years.
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