Some protein powders and shakes contain unsafe levels of lead, according to a Consumer Reports investigation.
In the report, published Tuesday, Consumer Reports analyzed 23 protein powders and shakes — a range of dairy, beef and plant-based protein supplements — and found that more than two-thirds of the products contained more lead in a single serving than what experts say is safe to consume, about 0.5 micrograms per day.
“Protein powders and shakes have become immensely popular and are part of a daily routine for many people who are focused on consuming more protein in their diet,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a news release. “Our tests found that toxic heavy metal contamination in protein supplements is widespread and has worsened since we first analyzed these products 15 years ago.”
On average, lead levels in plant-based products were the worst — about nine times the amount in dairy-based proteins, like whey, and twice as much as beef-based products.
Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard medical school and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, said he was “quite disappointed to see the results.”
“We’ve been knowing for years that there’s this concern that there might be too many heavy metals, specifically lead in supplements that people are taking. And to see that that’s still a problem … is alarming,” Cohen, who was not involved in the investigation, told CBS News.
The products that Consumer Reports found contained the highest amount of lead were Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer and Huel’s Black Edition — which the report categorized as “products to avoid.” A full list of the products tested can be found in the report.
A spokesperson for Huel told Consumer Reports that its ingredients undergo “rigorous testing” and that the company is “confident in the current formulation and safety of the products.”
In a statement to CBS News on Tuesday, Huel’s Head of Nutrition Rebecca Williams said its products “fully comply with international food safety regulations” and are “completely safe to consume.”
“Trace amounts of lead occur naturally in some food ingredients. The level reported by Consumer Reports for Huel Black Edition is well within internationally recognised safety limits and poses no health risk,” the statement added. “We carry out regular testing with accredited independent laboratories to ensure our products consistently meet the highest standards of quality and safety.”
Lead is a natural constituent of the earth, and anything that grows in the earth will contain trace amounts of lead, according to Cohen.
“The problem is that once that lead gets contaminated, or if the soil is contaminated with pollution or other human-made products, the plants can absorb more lead than usual,” Cohen said. “And that lead can build up in products like plant-based protein powders that are being sold as supplements.”
A Naked Nutrition spokesperson told Consumer Reports it sources ingredients from “select suppliers” that provide documentation showing they were checked for heavy metals.
In a statement to CBS News, the company also pointed out that, as a weight gainer product, it has a larger serving size than those typical of protein powders, thus may not be an accurate comparison when compared to other products. “When viewed on a per-gram basis, our results are consistent with other plant-based protein products,” a company spokesperson said.
“We reviewed the available information and verified results through independent third-party testing, which confirmed that no heavy metals exceeded FDA reference intake levels for adults, including for sensitive groups such as women of childbearing age,” Naked Nutrition’s statement read in part.
Two products also exceed Consumer Reports’ level of concern for cadmium, which is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. And three products contained inorganic arsenic, a known human carcinogen according to the EPA.
“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,” the release noted, adding Consumer Reports launched a petition Tuesday calling on the FDA to take action once the government shutdown is over.
“No one should have to worry that their protein shake could expose them to dangerous levels of lead. It’s time for the FDA to protect the public and hold industry accountable by setting strong limits on lead in protein powders and shakes,” Ronholm said.
Earlier this year, the FDA, for the first time, set guidelines for levels of lead in processed baby foods such as jarred fruits and vegetables.
Lead can stay in the human body for months or even years, because it can get into the bones, Cohen said.
“So it’s very important to overall try to keep lead exposure to the lowest possible based on eating healthy foods and avoiding products like supplements that add unnecessary lead to your diet,” the professor said.
