A high-end organic chocolate company in Ashland is recalling 40,000 pounds of bars, bricks and drops because of high levels of lead in the products. The raw organic cacao from which the recalled chocolate was made came from a single supplier in Ecuador in a region of volcanic soils. He said company officials are planning to travel to Ecuador to examine the possibility that high lead content in the soil might be responsible for the test results. Dagoba, founded in 2001, has built a reputation as a manufacturer of high-end chocolate, sold through specialty and organic foods stores. 

Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of Dagoba Organic Chocolate, said the recall was issued Saturday after routine testing of the raw materials showed widely varying levels of lead in some of the products. “We take this very seriously at Dagoba,” Williams said. “We’re very committed to serving our customers and our community with the highest quality products.” Williams said no reports of illness have been associated with the recall. His company has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the lead levels. Williams would not specify how high the levels were, other than to say “all the levels exceeded FDA guidelines.” Williams called the test results “an isolated incident,” saying tests on other products showed levels were within acceptable limits.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone who has eaten candy with high lead levels should see a health care provider who can perform a #### test to detect levels of lead in ####. Adults and children who have elevated #### lead levels often do not show any symptoms. The USDA advised consumers to return the products to the place of purchase. 

The recalled products are:

Dagoba Organic Eclipse 87 percent Extra Dark, 2-ounce bar, lot codes 20061122, 20061130, 20061201, 20061206, 20061213, 20061214, 20061219, 20061227, 20070103, 20070116, 20070130, 20070213, 20070220, 20070227, 20070306 and 20070313.

Dagoba Organic Los Rios 68 percent—Ecuador Arriba, 2-ounce bar, lot codes 20070213, 20070223 and 20070323.

Dagoba Organic Prima Materia 100 percent—Ecuador Arriba, 2-pound brick, lot code 20070109.

Dagoba Organic Los Rios Choco Drops 68 percent—Ecuador Arriba Nacional, 5-pound foil bag, lot code 20070222.

Dagoba Organic Los Rios 68 percent --Ecuador Arriba Nacional, 25-pound bag, lot code 310240498.

Dagoba Organic Eclipse Broken Bars Forest Grown Organic Extra Dark Chocolate, 1.5-pound bulk bags, all lot codes.