Customer Sues Hershey Alleging Certain Dark Chocolate Products Contain Heavy Metals

Hershey Co HSY is facing a lawsuit after being accused of selling dark chocolate containing possibly harmful levels of lead and cadmium.
New York resident Christopher Lazazzaro filed the suit against Hershey following a recent Consumer Reports study.
The study was conducted on 28 dark chocolate bars using California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for lead and cadmium: 0.5 micrograms and 4.1 micrograms, respectively.
Also read: Hershey's Beat On Q3 Earnings, Expects Sweetened Holiday Season, Boosts Annual Guidance.
The magazine said that while all 28 contained the heavy metals, 23, including chocolate from Dove, Godiva, Lindt, and Trader Joe's, contained potentially harmful levels of lead, cadmium, or both for people who eat one ounce of chocolate a day.
Hershey's Special Dark bar and Lily's 70% bar were high in lead, and Lily's 85% bar was high in lead and cadmium, the magazine said.
The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million of damages, including at least $500 per transaction under New York law, Reuters reported.
Price Action: HSY shares closed at $233.25 on Thursday.
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