Consumer Reports Discovers Lead in 16 Popular Protein Powders

Understanding the Risks of Protein Powder

Protein powder has become a staple for many individuals looking to boost their protein intake. Brands like Orgain, Vega, and Huel have been part of this trend. However, recent findings from a study conducted by Consumer Reports raise concerns about the safety of these products, particularly regarding heavy metal content.

What is Protein Powder?

Protein powder is a convenient way to add muscle-building protein to your day. It blends easily into smoothies, oatmeal, and more. Many people incorporate it into their meals, such as High-Protein Blueberry & Peanut Butter Chia Pudding, High-Protein Orange-Mango Smoothie, and Chocolate-Strawberry Baked Oats. Even desserts can be transformed into high-protein post-workout snacks with options like Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Jars.

Despite its convenience, the safety of protein powder remains questionable. Unlike other food products, it is not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) before hitting the shelves. This means that manufacturers and distributors are responsible for ensuring the safety and integrity of their products.

How Was the Study Conducted?

To evaluate the safety of protein powders, chemists and food safety researchers from Consumer Reports collected two to three samples at different times of 23 different protein powders and ready-to-drink protein supplements. These samples were purchased from various retailers in New York and online between November 2024 and January 2025.

Each sample was placed into a brown polyethylene jar and blind-coded to protect its identity. They were then shipped to an independent, accredited lab for testing. Strict industry-standard guidelines were followed to prevent contamination and avoid bias in results.

The samples were tested for a wide range of heavy metals, including total arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, aluminum, boron, barium, beryllium, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, strontium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc.

Determining what constitutes a high level of heavy metal was challenging, as U.S. governing agencies haven’t set safe upper limits for many of them. For example, while the FDA has health-based exposure limits for lead for children and women of childbearing age, there are no upper safety limits for adults. Therefore, the study used California’s Proposition 65 law, which sets maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) as the benchmark for levels of concern for lead, which is 0.5 mcg/day.

What Did the Study Find?

Out of the 23 protein powders and drinks analyzed, over two-thirds had levels of lead in just one serving that were higher than what the study suggests anyone should be consuming in a day. The study made the following recommendations based on their findings:

• Do not consume: Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer (1,572% higher levels of lead) and Huel Black Edition (1,288% higher).
• Limit to one serving per week: Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein (564% higher), Momentous 100% Plant Protein (476% higher)
• OK to eat occasionally (limit to 2 ¾ to 6 ¼ servings per week): MuscleMeds Carnivore Mass (247% higher), Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass (202% higher), Jocko Fuel Mölk Protein Shake (199% higher), Vega Premium Sport Plant-Based Protein (185% higher), Quest Protein Shake (161% higher), Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder (143% higher), Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Shake (150% higher), Equip Foods Prime Protein (144% higher), Plant Fusion Complete Protein (140% higher), Ensure Plant-Based Protein Nutrition Shake (132% higher), Muscle Milk Pro Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake (128% higher), KOS Organic Superfood Plant Protein (112% higher)
• Better for daily consumption (limit to 1 to 4 servings daily): Owyn Pro Elite High Protein Shake (88% higher), Transparent Labs Mass Gainer (87% higher), Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (56% higher), BSN Syntha-6 Protein Powder (46% higher), Momentous Whey Protein Isolate (30% higher), Dymatize Super Mass Gainer (25% higher)

The only protein powder tested to have no detectable lead was Muscle Tech’s 100% Mass Gainer.

Real-Life Implications

It’s important to note that some companies have already changed their formulations, and at least two of the products tested are no longer available for sale. CR included them in the results since some people may still be using them. One of the brands, Vega, changed the product name to Vega Protein + Recovery and now sources its pea protein from the U.S. instead of China. Momentum also overhauled its product line-up, claiming they’re sourcing cleaner ingredients for their dairy- and plant-based formulations.

Some of the companies refute the CR results, stating that they have their products independently tested for safety and purity. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade organization for companies that produce supplements, suggested in a statement that consuming some heavy metals “does not equate” to a health risk. Still, some research suggests that regular exposure to high levels of lead can be detrimental to adults.

Expert Take

A new study suggests that most protein powders contain some level of lead, with some of them coming in at extremely high levels. We recommend avoiding ones with the highest levels and limiting the others with lower amounts. You could also skip the store-bought protein powder and make your own with three simple ingredients: chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw pepitas. We also recommend trying to get your protein from whole foods as much as possible.