The purpose of a study was to assess the safety of commercially available chocolate products in context of heavy metal contents and the degree of microbiological contamination. Two-hundred and ten samples of three groups: 1) natural chocolates, 2) confectionary products and half-products (with the exclusion of natural chocolate), and 3) confectionary products and half-products (with the exclusion of natural chocolate) containing more than 20% of nuts, were subjected to a study. The contents of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic as well as total plate count were determined in the material studied. Moreover, the tests for Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci and yeasts and moulds were performed. The contents of lead in samples tested corresponded to 1% to 33% of admissible limit, whereas the concentrations of cadmium determined amounted to 10-94% of acceptable value. The contents of arsenic and mercury in material analyzed did not exceed 5% and 40%, respectively. Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci and yeasts and moulds were not demonstrated in any of the samples tested. Aerobic bacteria were determined in 3 samples of group 2 only. Total plate counts in the aforementioned samples amounted to 5 x10, 6 x 10 and 2 x 10 CFU x g^-1, respectively. Concluding, both heavy metal contents and the microbiological contamination of chocolate product evaluated were in accordance with law-required hygienic standards.

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