Consumer Reports Found Popular Protein Brands Contain High Levels Of Lead

"For so many American families, meeting their daily protein intake has become a normal part of meal planning. And protein-forward substitutions - like protein pasta, protein waffles, and protein shakes instead of coffee creamer - are far more plentiful on store shelves than they were 15 years ago, according to Consumer Reports. What's troubling: A new investigation by found that many popular protein powder and shake brands contain more lead in a serving "than CR 's food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day - some by more than 10 times.""

"Consumer Reports first tested protein powders for heavy metals 15 years ago, when the supplements were far more niche. Apparently, the lead levels in these products have only gone up in that time. In today's test, which examined 23 powders and shakes, the average level of lead was higher than it was 15 years ago, and some products had "nearly twice as much lead per serving as the worst product we analyzed in 2010.""

"The worst offenders on Consumer Reports' list tended to be plant-based proteins. Consumer Reports set their "level of concern" for lead at 0.5 micrograms ingested per day. A 2019 analysis by the FDA found that most American adults are already exposed to 5.3 micrograms of lead each day in their diet, so ideally, your protein supplements would add no more (or very little) to that total. That's because the FDA says children should not be exposed to more than 2.2 micrograms of lead per day, or 8.8 micrograms for adults, according to CR."

Testing of 23 protein powders and shakes found average lead levels higher than tests 15 years earlier. Some products contained nearly twice as much lead per serving as the worst product analyzed in 2010. Plant-based protein products tended to show elevated lead levels, and two plant-based items contained so much lead that experts caution against using them. Consumer Reports set a level of concern at 0.5 micrograms of lead ingested per day. A 2019 FDA analysis estimated most American adults ingest about 5.3 micrograms of lead daily from their diet. FDA guidance cites limits of 2.2 micrograms per day for children and 8.8 micrograms per day for adults.

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