Is There Lead in Your Chocolate?
By: Nicole Brzozowski
Article Summary
My article was published on www.cnn.com on March 25, 2016. The author of my article was Nadia Kounang. The article analyzed how a consumer advocacy group called As You Sow, found levels of lead and cadmium in chocolate in more than half of the 50 cocoa products they analyzed. Lead is a naturally occurring element that can be absorbed by the cocoa plant but As You Sow found lead levels at nine times the amount California considers safe and argued that the lead may be from processing errors. Companies in As You Sow’s survey, such as Hershey Company, were interviewed in the article and claimed people have been eating their cocoa products for centuries safely. As You Sow states they want to work with cocoa manufacturers to figure out ways to avoid mineral contamination. It is also argued that groups like As You Sow promote advocacy on things that haven’t been scientifically justified in relation to their effects on consumer’s health.
Article Critique
In analysis of my article, I found it on the news agency CNN. CNN is not only a website, but is also a news broadcasting station which is widely accessible by the public. In regards to the author of the article, she is a producer at CNN in the Medical Unit. Although I believe her writing speaks for itself, her article is also a reflection of CNN’s standard of reputable information. Each piece of author’s information was backed up and sited by sources throughout the article. The websites for each of the sources was imbedded in article. This was specifically noteworthy because it is unique to not search for the articles sources at the bottom of the page but rather to be able to click on them while you’re reading. To be exact, there were eleven sources integrated in the article. Each of the sources also came from published journals or government resources. In addition, the author also conducted her own field research by reaching out to the manufacturers that were in As You Sow’s survey to receive personal statements about the topic. This provided reader’s a unique, well-rounded perspective for the article. Instead of just arguing one side of the story, the author let readers formulate their own opinions. In further research, the article also included As You Sow’s past projects with Dunkin Donuts’ to provide outside information on the group’s work. This background information helps readers gather more information about the advocacy group through their past history. I believe that the article was written in a precise, evidence-based manner that allowed readers to interpret the information as they wished. I also believe that the article overall was written in an organized manner through the use of clear subtitles to separate different perspectives of the topic.
References
Kounang, N. (2016, March 25). Is there lead in your chocolate? Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/25/health/chocolate-lead-test/index.html
Nadia Kounang (n.d.) LinkedIn [Profile page]. Retrieved April 7, 2016