A woman issued a PSA about Lindt chocolate after she found out some news that led to her throwing away her batch of chocolates.
Sara Margaret (@xxsar__maxx) posted her warning to TikTok, where it received 55,000 views and counting.
“Let it be known that I hate to waste food,” the TikToker says. She then explains what led her to do just that.
“This morning I find out that Lindt chocolate contains lead,” she claims.
The TikToker adds that she found the information out because of a class action lawsuit against the company. She then reveals what she believes to be the most egregious detail about the entire situation.
“Their defense is, ‘Oh, we didn’t actually tell people there was no lead in this, so we’re not actually false advertising,’” the exasperated creator says. “The fact that they’re not even trying to cover themselves, … like, ew, no!”
What is the Lindt class action lawsuit all about?
Food & Wine reports that in 2022, Consumer Reports released a study on chemicals in chocolate that named a number of different chocolate companies. One of the companies is Lindt.
The report said Lindt chocolates contained extremely high levels of lead in its Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa. It also disclosed that there was high amounts of cadmium in its Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa.
The presence of heavy metals, like lead and cadmium, in foods poses a serious health risk to consumers. They are known to cause cancer, reproductive damage, and can severely impair brain development in children. Although levels of heavy metals in certain foods are extremely low, the cumulative effect of ingesting them can be significant.
Following the publication of the report, in February 2023, a group of consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Lindt. They allege that the company violated labelling rules. Agence France Presse said that some of the chocolate brands named in the Consumer Report study had higher levels of heavy metals. “Consumers insisted in the class action lawsuit that they had paid premium prices for Lindt because they believed they were ‘purchasing quality and safe dark chocolate,’” it said.
Does Lindt admit there is lead in its chocolate?
In her TikTok post, Margaret alleges that Lindt is arguing that it is not in the wrong since it has never claimed that there is no lead in its products. However, this is somewhat misleading given the plaintiffs’ claims in the lawsuit.
Lindt’s lawyers argue that marketing statements found on the chocolate’s packaging are “inflated language” and do not violate any labeling rules. It argues that a statement such as “expertly crafted with the finest ingredients” isn’t a promise that the chocolate is, in fact, made with the finest ingredients. Such assertions, according to the defense, are simply “exaggerated advertising, blustering, and boasting upon which no reasonable buyer would rely” when purchasing the product.
Viewers are shocked
Like Margaret, her viewers were also dismayed to find out that their chocolate of choice may contain lead.
“EXCUSE ME? LEAD? I ate one whole packet yesterday and I found this out know,” said one aghast commenter.
“The way I’m seeing this after buying a Lindt advent calendar,” another wrote.
“This makes me wanna cry that’s one of favorite chocolates,” a third lamented.
One helpful commenter suggested that consumers could also refer to a 2022 report from As You Sow. As You Sow is a non-profit that aims to increase corporate responsibility on environmental and social issues. The paper lists a number of chocolate companies, including Lindt, that allegedly have toxic levels of cadmium and lead in them.
@xxsar__maxx #greenscreen shame on yall for this. #fyp ♬ original sound – Sara Margaret🍉
The Daily Dot reached out to Margaret via TikTok direct message and Lindt via media contact form.
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