Overview

• Trader Joe's wins a legal victory as a judge dismisses most of a lawsuit over heavy metals in its dark chocolate products.
• The lawsuit accused Trader Joe's of failing to disclose harmful levels of lead and cadmium in its dark chocolate bars.
• U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro ruled that the lawsuit did not prove the products posed a safety hazard or were unfit to eat.
• Claims under California consumer protection laws were dismissed, but claims under Illinois, New York, and Washington laws can proceed.
• The lawsuit was prompted by a Consumer Reports study that found potentially harmful levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate bars from various manufacturers.