Do you know that excessive Chocolate consumption can increase the risk of cancer ?

Cocoa drinks and chocolates have been part of the staple diet in many consumers across all age groups, especially children and middle aged adults. However, not many consumers are aware that chocolate is derived from cacao which contains cadmium, a chemical substance which can be harmful to kidneys while increasing ones’ risk of getting cancer.
Although cadmium is not as risky as heavy-metals like arsenic, exposure to it for a long time can be dangerous as it accumulates in the body. According to several scientific reports, a person body needs 10-30 years to digest cadmium. In 2019, the European Commission had decreased the safety threshold of the amount of cadmium in processed chocolate to between 0.1-0.8mg per kg of chocolate, depending on the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate has a lower ceiling than milk chocolate. As a result, all chocolate products imported to Europe have to comply with this new limit. The reason for this new limit was based on research done which concluded that cadmium exposure through food in children reaches twice the safety limit as compared to adults.
In Asian countries like Indonesia, the maximum limit on cadmium is set at 0.5mg per kg of chocolate and cacao product. The amount is roughly the same as the new European regulation for processed chocolate with over 30?cao. Despite this negative report, it must be noted that cadmium is not only found in chocolate. However, chocolate is a very popular food product which requires it to be regulated. In addition, the cadmium content varies according to the production process and the countries which process it. Generally, the cadmium level in processed chocolate is minimal because of the mixing of raw chocolate with milk, sugar and syrup during production. The chocolate level in a product is between 10% (for milk chocolate) and 70-100% (for dark chocolate).
However, regular consumption of chocolate over a long period of time will eventually increase the cadmium amount in ones’ body. There is also a high possibility that chocolates processed in under-developed countries might have higher cadmium contents.
Ultimately, the amount of cadmium content also depends on the source of origin of cacao beans from agriculture soil condition to its plant condition.