Much has changed since Consumer Reports first tested protein powders and shakes. Over the past 15 years, Americans’ obsession with protein has transformed what had been a niche product into the centerpiece of a multibillion-dollar wellness craze, driving booming supplement sales and spawning a new crop of protein-fortified foods that now saturate supermarket shelves and social media feeds.

Yet for all the industry’s growth and rebranding, one thing hasn’t changed: Protein powders still carry troubling levels of toxic heavy metals, according to a new Consumer Reports investigation. Our latest tests of 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes from popular brands found that heavy metal contamination has become even more common among protein products, raising concerns that the risks are growing right alongside the industry itself.

For more than two-thirds of the products we analyzed, a single serving contained more lead than CR’s food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day—some by more than 10 times.

“It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,” said Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the testing project. This time, in addition to the average level of lead being higher than what we found 15 years ago, there were also fewer products with undetectable amounts of it. The outliers also packed a heavier punch. Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer powder, the product with the highest lead levels, had nearly twice as much lead per serving as the worst product we analyzed in 2010.

Nearly all the plant-based products CR tested had elevated lead levels, but some were particularly concerning. Two had so much lead that CR’s experts caution against using them at all. A single serving of these protein powders contained between 1,200 and 1,600 percent of CR’s level of concern for lead, which is 0.5 micrograms per day. Two others had between 400 and 600 percent of that level per daily serving. CR experts recommend limiting these to once a week.

The lead levels in plant-based products were, on average, nine times the amount found in those made with dairy proteins like whey, and twice as great as beef-based ones. Dairy-based protein powders and shakes generally had the lowest amounts of lead, but half of the products we tested still had high enough levels of contamination that CR’s experts advise against daily use.

There’s no reason to panic if you’ve been using any of the products we tested, or if you take protein supplements generally. Many of these powders are fine to have occasionally, and even those with the highest lead levels are far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm. That said, because most people don’t actually need protein supplements—nutrition experts say the average American already gets plenty—it makes sense to ask whether these products are worth the added exposure.

Consumers often assume supplements deliver health benefits without risks, says Pieter Cohen, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “But that’s not true.”

CR’s experts agree. “For many people, there’s more to lose than you’re gaining,” says Akinleye, who suggests that regular users of protein supplements consider reducing their consumption.

Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t review, approve, or test supplements like protein powders before they are sold. Federal regulations also don’t generally require supplement makers to prove their products are safe, and there are no federal limits for the amount of heavy metals they can contain.

While no amount of lead is technically safe, the greatest danger comes from repeated or continuous exposure, particularly at high doses, says Rose Goldman, MD, an associate professor of medicine and physician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Medford, Mass. Children and pregnant people are most vulnerable because lead can damage the developing brain and nervous system, which has the potential to cause neurological issues, learning delays, and behavioral problems. But chronic lead exposure has also been linked to immune suppression, reproductive problems, kidney damage, and high blood pressure in adults.

Lead lingers in the body, so even small amounts can add up over time and contribute to health risks, Goldman says. And unlike some other foods CR has tested for heavy metals, such as chocolate and bubble tea, protein powder isn’t usually treated as an occasional indulgence. For many people, it’s part of their daily routine. Some products are even marketed as complete meal replacements, with superfans bragging in online forums about surviving on nothing but these powders for weeks or months at a time. Compounding the problem is the exploding popularity of protein-fortified foods, snacks, and beverages, which are designed to supplant conventional foods in American diets but are frequently made with the same problematic ingredients as the supplements.

“The FDA can take action if it finds unsafe lead levels, but the lack of enforceable standards means it doesn’t happen nearly enough,” says Brian Ronholm, CR’s director of food policy. “The FDA’s lack of funding and staff makes the problem worse. Establishing enforceable limits in foods and supplements would go a long way in protecting consumers.” What CR’s Tests Found

For our tests, CR selected a range of bestselling dairy, beef, and plant-based protein supplements, including protein powders and ready-to-drink protein shakes.

We purchased multiple samples of each product, including two to four distinct lots, over a three-month period beginning last November. CR bought the products anonymously from a variety of sources, including popular online retailers like Amazon and Walmart, and at supermarkets and health food stores in New York state, such as the Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods Market. Then CR tested samples from multiple lots of each product for total protein, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and other elements. Because the results are based on an average of these samples, which were collected over a specific period of time, they may not mirror current contaminant levels in every product. Even so, the findings highlight why consumers should carefully consider the role of protein powders and shakes in their diet. For more details on our testing methods and results, see our methodology sheet (PDF).

All products met or exceeded their label claim of protein in our tests, offering between 20 to 60 grams of protein per serving. Lead was the main heavy metal that emerged as an issue. About 70 percent of products we tested contained over 120 percent of CR’s level of concern for lead, which is 0.5 micrograms per day. Three products also exceeded our level of concern for cadmium and inorganic arsenic, toxic heavy metals that have been classified as a probable human carcinogen and known human carcinogen, respectively, by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Two plant-based protein powders contained enough lead that our experts advise against consuming them. Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, which is roughly 1,570 percent of CR’s level of concern for the heavy metal. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead, or about 1,290 percent of CR’s daily lead limit.

Two other powders contained lead between 400 and 600 percent of CR’s level of concern: Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein. Consumers should limit these to once a week, Akinleye says. (See company responses below.)

The only non-plant-based protein powder with lead detected at over 200 percent of CR’s level of concern was MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass powder. Six additional plant-based powders, five dairy-based powders and shakes, and one beef powder contained lead above CR’s level of concern.

We also found measurable levels of cadmium and inorganic arsenic in some products. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition plant-based protein powder contained 9.2 micrograms of cadmium, more than double the level that public health authorities and CR’s experts say may be harmful to have daily, which is 4.1 micrograms.

Another plant-based option, Vega’s Premium Sport powder, had enough cadmium that one serving would also put you just over that level. In one dairy-based product, Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass whey protein powder, we also detected 8.5 micrograms per serving of inorganic arsenic, which is twice the limit of what our scientists say is safe to consume daily.

Prior to publication, CR contacted the manufacturers of all 23 products we tested and shared with them our results and methodology. Seven companies did not respond to our requests for comment: BSN, Dymatize, Jocko Fuel, Muscle Milk, Owyn, PlantFusion, and Transparent Labs. Optimum Nutrition declined to comment, and Huel did not respond to questions about the amount of cadmium found in its product.

Of those that responded, many say that lead is a naturally occurring element that is difficult to avoid, particularly in plant-based products. Eight companies—Equip Foods, Garden of Life, KOS, Momentous, Muscle Meds, Muscle Tech, Orgain, and Vega—say they test both their ingredients and finished products for heavy metals.

A spokesperson for Huel says that its ingredients undergo “rigorous testing” and that the company is “confident in the current formulation and safety of the products.” Naked Nutrition sources its ingredients from “select suppliers” that provide documentation attesting that they were checked for heavy metals, says James Clark, chief marketing officer. “We take our customers’ health very seriously,” he says, noting that Naked Nutrition has requested a third-party test of its Mass Gainer powder in response to CR’s findings.

John Koval, a spokesperson for Abbott, which makes Ensure, says that the lead levels CR found in its shakes are low for a product made with plant protein and that “consumers can be assured the product is safe.” A spokesperson for Quest says that the levels of lead CR detected in its products are “evidence that our robust food safety programs are working effectively.”

Spokesperson Allie Droze says that Vega “complies with all required safety standards and regulations” and that CR’s cadmium findings are “inconsistent” with the company’s regular testing results. She adds that the firm operates under California Proposition 65 consent decrees—legally binding settlement agreements that may allow companies to adhere to higher thresholds.

Such agreements are typically signed to resolve claims that a company violated a California law requiring that businesses warn consumers before exposing them to certain harmful chemicals. In total, Vega has paid about $336,000 in penalties to resolve allegations made in 2013 and 2018 that its products contained high levels of lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals without appropriate warning. As part of the settlements, Vega admitted no wrongdoing.

Earlier this year, Vega renamed the plant-based protein powder we analyzed and changed its sourcing practices for a key ingredient. The company now sources its pea protein—which is the first listed ingredient in the rebranded Vega Protein + Recovery—from North America instead of China. “Because naturally occurring heavy metal levels in plant proteins can reflect the soil in which crops are grown, this sourcing change is relevant to any testing considerations,” Droze says.

Momentous also recently conducted a “massive overhaul” of its products to improve sourcing and “clean up formulas” for its dairy and plant-based protein powders, says spokesperson Will McClaran. “The Momentous products [CR] tested have been discontinued and are no longer commercially available,” McClaran says. (Discontinued products are marked with a footnote in the chart above. We included them in our results because protein supplements have a long shelf life and consumers may still have them in their pantries.)

Spokespeople for Garden of Life US and Orgain say their products are safe for daily use despite CR’s recommended limits. They also specified that the companies’ limits for heavy metals are determined by closely following the latest food safety guidance from the FDA, EPA, World Health Organization, and European Food Safety Authority.

Most of those organizations do not have limits or guidelines for heavy metals in protein powders or dietary supplements, particularly with regard to lead. The EPA does not regulate lead levels in food but has set an action level of 10 parts per billion for lead in tap water. (The concentration of lead we found in the Garden of Life and Orgain products was 61 and 15 ppb, respectively.) The FDA has not set any action levels for lead in protein powders or shakes. The WHO has published no guidance on lead in supplements and, through its joint committee with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, has said there is no level of lead that is safe to consume weekly. The maximum amount of lead permitted in food supplements according to the EFSA is 3,000 ppb (3 mg/kg), a level that CR’s food safety experts say is far too high to be health protective.

Momentous and Vega say their products are independently tested to ensure they meet standards set by the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency. To obtain certification by the NSF, dietary supplements must adhere to the group’s limits of 10 micrograms per day for lead and inorganic arsenic, and 4.1 micrograms per day for cadmium.

Muscle Meds says it tests its products to ensure compliance with a similar lead limit, 10 micrograms per serving. Naked Nutrition says it is “in the process of obtaining” NSF certification.

We also shared our results with the FDA and asked about its oversight of the protein supplement industry. A spokesperson says the agency monitors contaminants in protein powders and shakes through its toxic element compliance program, special FDA surveys, and through a cooperative agreement with the states for laboratory funding.

“We will review the findings from Consumer Reports’ testing along with other data we have collected to better inform where to focus our testing efforts and enforcement activities,” the FDA spokesperson says.

random China stray aside, you may be drinking lead. I’m not copying the rest of the article because it’s long and will exceed the post limits but I’d recommend it for the actual study results and the rest of the corporate “noo what are you talking about haha, we don’t have any lead or arsenic in our drinks and ultimately the consumer will just need to decide if they want to bulk or if they want to stay arsenic free” bullshit