List of Protein Powder Brands Containing Lead: Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports revealed that more than two-thirds of the 23 protein supplements it tested contained unsafe levels of lead, raising health concerns for millions of Americans who routinely consume these products as part of fitness or dietary regimens.

Protein powders and shakes comprise a rapidly growing market segment, but there are currently no mandatory federal standards regulating heavy metal contamination in such supplements.

Why It Matters

Lead contamination in food products can pose serious health risks for humans, particularly among vulnerable groups. High levels of lead exposure have been linked to health complications such as kidney dysfunction in adults and developmental delays and neurological damage in children, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The newfound contamination is worse than it was in Consumer Reports' last major test 15 years ago, exposing consumers to a hidden risk in pursuit of wellness goals.

What To Know

Consumer Reports' analysis included brands widely available to American consumers, investigating both powders and ready-to-drink shakes.

Among these, plant-based powders showed the highest levels of contamination, while dairy-based formulas generally registered lower amounts. However, contamination was widespread across several types and brands, with some popular names included in the tests.

Which Brands Were Included in the Investigation?

A total of 23 protein powder and shake products were tested by Consumer Reports, ranging from plant-based supplements to dairy and beef-based formulations.

The protein powders tested include products from BSN, Dymatize, Ensure, Equip, Garden of Life, Huel, Jacko Fuel, KOS, Momentous, Muscle Milk, MuscleMeds, MuscleTech, Nake Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, Orgain, Owyn, Plant Fusion, Quest, Transparent Labs and Vega.

Which Protein Powders Contain Lead?

Consumer Reports identified Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer and Huel’s Black Edition powders as the two products with lead concentrations exceeding its level of concern by over 1,200 percent.

Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer had the highest lead at 7.7 micrograms per serving, while Huel’s Black Edition contained 6.3 micrograms.

Others, such as Garden of Life's Sport Organic and Momentous' Plant Protein, also exhibited elevated lead levels, causing Consumer Reports to recommend limiting their use.

Two of the tested products also far exceeded concern levels for cadmium, and three contained inorganic arsenic, both of which are recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as potential or known carcinogens. A comprehensive list and the full methodology were published along with the findings.

Plant-based protein supplements, on average, had about nine times the lead content of dairy-based (whey) protein and about twice as much as beef-derived powders. While experts noted that these levels do not cause immediate harm, the risk compounds with long-term consumption since lead accumulates in the body over time.

There are currently no federal limits on heavy metals in supplements like protein powders in the United States. Supplement makers are not required to test their products for contaminants before bringing them to market, making third-party testing and transparency crucial for consumer safety.

What People Are Saying

Tunde Akinleye, the Consumer Reports food safety researcher who led the testing project, said in a news release: “It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested."

Consumer Reports said: "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."

Naked Nutrition said in part in a statement: "It’s important to note that Naked Vegan Mass was the only vegan weight gainer included in the Consumer Reports testing. As a weight gainer, it has a significantly larger serving size - approximately 315 grams, or about six scoops - compared with the 30 to 50 grams typical of standard protein powders. This difference means that comparing “per serving” data across products with drastically different serving sizes does not provide an accurate, apples-to-apples comparison. When viewed on a per-gram basis, our results are consistent with other plant-based protein products.

Elements such as lead are naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust, and trace amounts can be present in plant-based ingredients worldwide. Because plants naturally absorb minerals and elements from soil, trace levels of heavy metals can be found in virtually all plant-derived foods and proteins, even in certified organic products, regardless of brand or country of origin.

While Consumer Reports did not share its complete lab data, 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."

James Clark, chief marketing officer for Naked Nutrition, told The New York Times in response to Consumer Reports' study: “No heavy metals exceeded F.D.A. reference intake levels.”

He added that the serving size for their Vegan Mass Gainer is larger than for other plant-based powders.

Rebecca Williams, head of nutrition at Huel, told CBS News: “Trace amounts of lead occur naturally in some food ingredients. The level reported by Consumer Reports for Huel Black Edition is well within internationally recognized safety limits and poses no health risk. We carry out regular testing with accredited independent laboratories to ensure our products consistently meet the highest standards of quality and safety.”

Dr. Stephen Luby, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, told The New York Times: “The results are very troubling.”

What Happens Next

Consumer Reports has launched a petition calling on the FDA to set enforceable limits on lead levels in protein powders and shakes. The FDA has issued guidelines for lead in baby food, but not for adult supplements.

Without specific regulation, responsibility remains largely with individual companies, though some brands claim to use regular third-party testing for contaminants.

Experts urge consumers to scrutinize product testing transparency and favor supplements that undergo third-party quality certification.