Trader Joe's Slammed With Lawsuit Over Potentially Harmful Metals in Product The grocery store chain is facing legal action in light of a report last month that showed there were dangerous metals in two of its beloved products.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Getty Images

There's nothing sweet about this bargain buy.

Grocery store chain Trader Joe's is being sued by a customer after a report found abnormally high levels of lead and cadmium were found in two of its dark chocolate bars.

The lawsuit was filed in Central Islip, New York by Thomas Ferrante, who alleged that he read the labels to scan for ingredients and wouldn't have purchased if he had known about the metals.

A second lawsuit was filed by Tamakia Herd which claimed that the grocery store chain knew about the high levels of lead and cadmium in two of its chocolate bars but continued to sell them anyway.

Both lawsuits come in light of a report last month that found 23 of 28 dark chocolate bars tested contained levels of the metals that could be harmful to consumers eating one ounce or more of the sweet treat each day.

Among these 23 bars were Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao and Trader Joe's The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate 85% Cacao bars, both of which are named in the suit.

The lawsuit is asking for $5 million in damages, including $500 per transaction per New York state law.

"Frequent exposure to lead in adults, for example, can lead to nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage, and reproductive issues," Consumer Reports stated in last month's study.

Trader Joe's did not publicly respond to the allegations or lawsuit.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.

Leadership

Strong Leaders Thrive in Complexity — Here Are 5 Leadership Level-Ups for 2025

Leadership isn't static. It's a journey of continual learning and evolution. Here are some lessons for leaders this year.