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That's what I was expecting. Calling out for botanists to weigh in here - is there something that makes chocolate uniquely susceptible to this and if so, is it

That's what I was expecting. Calling out for botanists to weigh in here - is there something that makes chocolate uniquely susceptible to this and if so, is it part of a class of other plants we typically eat? And lastly, this is for food chemists, is there a reliable way to remove such things in the manufacturing that can be added?

SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
Bioaccumulation? It does happen with heavy metals and plants. Soil quality is the next question. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02652030500387554 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/026520305003875...
Semaphor 4y ago
Your second question is answered in the article: > For lead, that will mean changes in harvesting and manufacturing practices, says Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow. Such practices could include minimizing soil contact with beans as they lie in the sun, and drying beans on tables or clean tarps away from roads or with protective covers, so lead-contaminated dust won’t land on them. Another option is finding ways to remove metal contaminants when beans are cleaned at factories, Fugere says. > Solving for cadmium is trickier, though it is possible, DiBartolomeis says. Carefully breeding or genetically engineering plants to take up less of the heavy metal could help, though that could take several years. Other potential options include replacing older cacao trees with younger ones, because cadmium levels tend to increase as the plants get older, and removing or treating soil known to be contaminated with cadmium.
deleted 4y ago
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rhplus 4y ago
Cacao grows in rainforests, so perhaps they’re adapted to rich soils that over time have become net accumulators of heavy metals. There’s examples of other plants that thrive in the presence of heavy metals, such as this one that “bleeds” nickel rich sap: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45398434.amp https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45398434.amp
- yyyk 4y ago
  Ah, so Tiberium is technically possible...
passwordoops 4y ago
Generally plants are excellent at removing metals from the environment and concentrating them in different tissues, depending on the species and metal. Poplar trees, for example, have often been used for remediation of Mercury contamination of souls Not sure about the specifics of cocoa, but not beyond the pale to see cadmium, for example, be concentrated in the beans. As for removal from food stuffs, it really depends on how the metals are bound to the plant material. Could be as simple as heating up in a vat with agitation, to requiring something so drastic it changes the nature of the chocolate. Best way is to reduce the amount that can be integrated by the plant, but good luck with that. The farmers would probably have to import heavy-metals reduced soil
Reason077 4y ago
Not a botanist, but this is not unique to cocoa. Rice, for example, is known to take up arsenic, cadmium, and other nasties from soils. But it varies significantly depending on the rice variety and where it is gown. Basmati rice grown in California, Pakistan, and India is known to have low levels of arsenic compared to most other types of rice.

SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago

Bioaccumulation? It does happen with heavy metals and plants. Soil quality is the next question. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02652030500387554 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/026520305003875...

Semaphor 4y ago

Your second question is answered in the article: > For lead, that will mean changes in harvesting and manufacturing practices, says Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow. Such practices could include minimizing soil contact with beans as they lie in the sun, and drying beans on tables or clean tarps away from roads or with protective covers, so lead-contaminated dust won’t land on them. Another option is finding ways to remove metal contaminants when beans are cleaned at factories, Fugere says. > Solving for cadmium is trickier, though it is possible, DiBartolomeis says. Carefully breeding or genetically engineering plants to take up less of the heavy metal could help, though that could take several years. Other potential options include replacing older cacao trees with younger ones, because cadmium levels tend to increase as the plants get older, and removing or treating soil known to be contaminated with cadmium.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

rhplus 4y ago

Cacao grows in rainforests, so perhaps they’re adapted to rich soils that over time have become net accumulators of heavy metals. There’s examples of other plants that thrive in the presence of heavy metals, such as this one that “bleeds” nickel rich sap: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45398434.amp https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45398434.amp

yyyk 4y ago
Ah, so Tiberium is technically possible...

passwordoops 4y ago

Generally plants are excellent at removing metals from the environment and concentrating them in different tissues, depending on the species and metal. Poplar trees, for example, have often been used for remediation of Mercury contamination of souls Not sure about the specifics of cocoa, but not beyond the pale to see cadmium, for example, be concentrated in the beans. As for removal from food stuffs, it really depends on how the metals are bound to the plant material. Could be as simple as heating up in a vat with agitation, to requiring something so drastic it changes the nature of the chocolate. Best way is to reduce the amount that can be integrated by the plant, but good luck with that. The farmers would probably have to import heavy-metals reduced soil

Reason077 4y ago

Not a botanist, but this is not unique to cocoa. Rice, for example, is known to take up arsenic, cadmium, and other nasties from soils. But it varies significantly depending on the rice variety and where it is gown. Basmati rice grown in California, Pakistan, and India is known to have low levels of arsenic compared to most other types of rice.