New Lindt Lawsuit Claims Its ‘Expertly Crafted’ Chocolate Is Not as Safe as We Think
Time to rethink which chocolate you're reaching for this holiday season.
Lindt/Allrecipes
Craving some dark chocolate? We're sorry to break it to you, but one of our longtime favorite chocolate brands may be off the table. In February 2023, American consumers filed a class-action lawsuit against Lindt alleging that heavy metals were found in its purportedly “expertly crafted” chocolate.
The lawsuit came after a Consumer Reports study found high levels of cadmium in the Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa bar and high levels of lead in the Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa bar.
What to Know About the Lindt Lawsuit
The people behind the lawsuit protested that they had paid upmarket prices for Lindt bars because they thought they were "purchasing quality and safe dark chocolate." Notably, the plaintiffs in the case are based in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and New York, states where there are labeling laws that Lindt may be trying to sidestep.
The Swiss company behind the chocolate, Lindt & Sprungli, released a statement to the Agence France Presse (AFP) last week to claim, "Lindt & Sprungli disagrees with all the allegations made in the U.S. lawsuit. Our Lindt & Sprungli quality and safety procedures ensure that all products comply with all applicable safety standards and declaration requirements and are safe to consume.”
A word that came up often in the wake of the lawsuit was puffery. According to New York’s Eastern District Court, product puffery is defined as “exaggerated advertising, blustering, and boasting upon which no reasonable buyer would rely.”
The word was brought up by Lindt & Sprungli’s lawyers, who claim that the words “expertly crafted with the finest ingredients" and “excellence” printed on Lindt bars are “puffery,” so the court cannot take legal action. In essence, the lawyers are saying consumers shouldn't take the descriptions printed on the chocolate bars so seriously.
Safer Dark Chocolate Options
In addition to listing which chocolate bars contained alarming levels of lead and cadmium, the Consumer Reports study also indexed which chocolate bars were safe to eat. The list includes bars from Mast, Taza Chocolate, and Valrhona, as well as Lindt & Sprungli-owned American brand, Ghirardelli. With the holidays quickly approaching, it looks like we'll be reaching for one of those brands to stuff into stockings.
