Trader Joe's sued over alleged lead and cadmium in dark chocolate

Trader Joe's customers in New York filed two separate class-action lawsuits against the company this week, alleging that the grocery store chain failed to warn customers about heavy metals found in its dark chocolate.

One lawsuit argues that Trader Joe's should have known there were traces of cadmium and lead in the chocolate. Instead, Trader Joe's allegedly decided to "ignore the health of the consuming public in pursuit of profit," the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York states.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday on behalf of New York City resident Tamakia Herd, also alleges Trader Joe's purposely omitted the heavy metals presence on its chocolate packaging, further deceiving its customers. Herd eats two dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe's every week, the suit claims.