Lindt chocolate accused of having dangerous levels of lead and cadmium, misleading consumers: Report

Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli is currently battling a US class action lawsuit over allegedly misleading advertising claims of quality

Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli is facing legal scrutiny due to a class action lawsuit by the US-based Consumer Reports, which accuses its dark chocolate bars of containing dangerous levels of lead and cadmium.

A bar of Lindt chocolate is photographed in Lausanne, western Switzerland, on November 12, 2024. Top Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprungli is disputing claims brought by US consumers in a class action lawsuit concerning the levels of heavy metals found in its chocolate bars. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)

The lawsuit was raised in February 2023 and raised such concerns from the chocolates of several other manufacturers as well, news agency AFP reported.

Consumer Reports had tested 28 bars sold in the US and found one of the Lindt bars being among eight to have a high level of cadmium, while another Lindt bar was among 10 others with a high level of lead, though neither had the highest levels.

"Lindt & Sprungli disagrees with all the allegations made in the US lawsuit," the report quoted the chocolatier as saying in its official statement. “Our Lindt & Sprüngli quality and safety procedures ensure that all products comply with all applicable safety standards and declaration requirements and are safe to consume.”

Apart from this, two of Lindt's bars, marketed under the US brand Ghirardelli, were among five classified as “safer choices.”

Despite this, consumers insisted in the lawsuit being filed against Lindt claiming they paid premium prices for Lindt since they believed they were “purchasing quality and safe dark chocolate.”

They further went on to accuse Lindt of violating US labelling rules.

Lindt's lawyers claimed that the words "excellence" and "expertly crafted with the finest ingredients" on its packaging, were “puffery” which can't be taken legal action against.

This refers to an “exaggerated commendation especially for promotional purposes,” according to a Merriam-Webster definition.

However, the Eastern District of New York district court denied Lindt's motion to get the lawsuit dismissed.

Moreover, this line of defence also startled many Swiss news outlets as the country is highly attached to its reputation of producing quality goods. The NZZ am Sonntag weekly said Lindt's strategy “dismantled its own promises of quality.”

Lindt on the other hand, stressed that the it was only a "technical" legal response before the US court “used to clarify that an advertising challenged by plaintiffs is not sufficiently objective to support the specific false advertising claim being made,” and not an admission of making inferior quality products.