Heavy Metals in Protein Powders May Pose Safety Risk

Nearly half of protein powders evaluated in a recent analysis contained enough toxic heavy metals to exceed California Proposition 65 safety thresholds — one of the most stringent in the country, if not the world, experts say.

Heavy metals can end up in our food through soil and water contamination as well as through manufacturing processes.

While heavy metal contamination reform is underway at the state and federal level for foods marketed toward children, the same conversations need to be happening when it comes to the rest of our food supply, said Bowen.

“Athletes of all capabilities reach for protein powder to supplement their already healthy lifestyle choices. This serves as another proof point on the extent of the contamination in our food supply and the need for federal food safety regulatory leadership.”

Protein Powder Tests Focused on Top-Selling Brands

To review potential contaminants in protein powders on the market, the organization purchased 160 products from 70 of the top-selling brands, representing 83 percent of the market share. Researchers then conducted more than 35,000 individual tests for a range of contaminants, including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury), bisphenols (BPA and BPS), and other industrial chemicals.

Key findings from the report include:

• On average, organic protein powders had three times more lead than non-organic products. Lead contamination in protein powders is concerning because there is no safe level of lead exposure, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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• Plant-based protein powders, such as those made from soy, rice, and peas, contained three times more lead than whey-based protein powders.
• Plant-based powders had five times more cadmium than whey-based products. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and is toxic to several organs, including the kidneys, liver, and bones.

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Chocolate Protein Powders Contain More Heavy Metals

On average, chocolate-flavored protein powders tested for the study contained four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored varieties.

Findings in Line With Other Studies on Toxic Metals in Food

The key finding — that nearly half of the 160 protein powders tested exceeded California’s Proposition 65 (Prop 65) safety thresholds for toxic metals — isn’t surprising, says Jacob M. Hands, a research associate in the Frame-Corr Lab at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.

“These findings are in line with what other studies have reported, and part of that is because the Prop 65 standard is one of the strictest standards in the entire country, if not in the world,” says Hands.

The California initiative, passed almost 40 years ago, set acceptable levels for dangerous chemicals and toxins by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. Proposition 65 then requires this “no observable effect level” to be divided by 1,000 in order to provide an ample margin of safety.

“This high standard isn’t a bad thing, but it has the potential to falsely generate a lot of anxiety in consumers,” Hands says.

The report doesn’t include the actual amounts of the toxins found, but rather just how many products were over the Prop 65 threshold. Without that information, it’s difficult to know how concerning these findings are, says Hands.

Critics of the Report Cite Lack of Transparency in Testing and Product Selection

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association that represents diet supplements (including protein powders) also took issue with the Clean Label report.

What Can People Who Buy Protein Powders Do?

For people who want to buy powders that are as “toxin-free” as possible, the authors of the report offer the following recommendations.

• Choose whey-based or collagen-based powders. These protein sources generally have lower levels of heavy metals than plant-based options.
• Select vanilla-flavored products. Chocolate-flavored protein powders tend to have higher levels of lead and cadmium.
• Inquire about contaminant testing. Contact your favorite protein powder brands to ask about their testing practices for heavy metals and other chemicals.
• Shop for trusted brands. Look for brands that emphasize transparency and quality control, particularly those that have third-party testing for contaminants.