Lindt Being Sued in US

I often see posts on YouTube about American food being inferior to ours and the posters are jealous that we have such rigorous rules about our food. One example is that we cannot import eggs from America as they don't pass our standards.

I hope the Lindt we have here is made under better controls.

Is that so! I went to town on Sunday and saw they were giving out some chocolates I tried the mint one no flavour of that whatsoever it was just dark chocolate lol

Good thing I tried it so I know what it’s like and won’t be buying it

Do you have a favourite flavour?

Unsafe according to whom? My understanding is that different US states have stricter rules on safety. It is concerning, but as with all things in life many things kill us slowly. The air pollution we breathe daily is more concerning. Heavy metals damage you by accumulation and the cacao tree, like a lot of flora, accumulates the heavy metals in the soil. Chard does the same thing.

Unless otherwise stated much of the cocoa in the chocolate we eat (no matter what country you live in) is the cheapest possible. Most probably grown on the Ivory Coast. The difference will be in the processing and mixing, with more expensive brands not having vegetable fats and being 'conched' more effectively and have a smoother mouth feel. I have tasted high percentage bars of chocolate from budget chains like Aldi and they tend to have a 'powdery' melt. The texture of the same quality cocoa can make a remarkable difference to the taste.

In the US and other countries the same manufacturer can alter the recipe. Lindt for e.g. sells dutched or alkalized bars there. In the UK they don't. Some manufacturers also add butyric acid as a preservative I understand. I have bought alkalized cocoa powder and wasn't impressed with the flat dull taste.

Regarding flavourings, I have been stung many times. Very often the cheapest ingredient (sugar) is massively increased and cocoa solids decreased, with a bit of flavour thrown in. It's better to buy a high percentage cocoa bar and buy the best quality flavourings separately.

This issue has been rumbling for a couple of years and extends beyond Lindt. Other well known brands, including Godiva, Hershey, Green & Black's and Tony's Chocolonely, have been found to have high levels of Cadmium and/or lead in some of their dark chocolate products. The US magazine Consumer Reports (CR) tested 28 dark chocolate bars and found 23 of them had "comparatively higher levels" of the metals. Details can be found here, including why it contains high levels of cadmium and lead - www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

I hope this problem has been resolved by the time Lindt open their flagship store in London next year - www.lindt.co.uk/blog/flagship-store-opening/

I was given 3 bars of chocolate yesterday from a neighbour, not eating them now after seeing this lol

Oh wow we really do t realise what is in the food we eat do we

I can't stand the chocolate, tasteless plastic and its very expensive so not something I would ever buy anyway. Seems like a garbage product for the brand snobs and they are welcome to it. I'd much rather have a generic bar of fruit and nut from any of the supermarkets under their own branding. Cheaper and nicer plus from the sound of it much safer.

I remember the news story about lots of clothes from Temu having traces of lead and cadmium on them due to the low cost way they manufacture them and don't clean them before packing up however here we are talking about actually consuming lead and cadmium which is surely much worse when it enters your stomach rather than just touching the skin etc. From what was said about Temu children were much more vulnerable to the effects of lead and cadmium than adults because their bodies are still growing. Sounds like the ideal chocolate to buy if you don't like someone but have to buy them something. Saying that I have received it as a gift in the past but then they probably didn't know it was a carcinogenic at the time.

Its the same with all foods

Just look at grapes, one of the healthiest fruits you can buy , they have one of the highest residue of pesticides left on their skins when sold , they need a good soaking before being eaten

But how many people buy some on their way to see a sick relative in hospital and they eat them without rinsing ?