An alarming US report has pointed the finger at excessive levels of lead and cadmium in over-the-counter protein powders, with the highest amounts found in plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavoured products.
No level of lead is considered safe for humans, and cadmium is a carcinogen toxic to the human heart, kidneys, gut, brain, respiratory, and reproductive systems.
The report, released by the non-profit Clean Label Project, tested 160 products from 70 top-selling brands (83% of the US market) and found that 47% exceeded California’s Proposition 65 safety thresholds for toxic metals.
“Organic products, on average, showed higher levels of heavy metal contamination, with three times more lead and twice the amount of cadmium compared to non-organic products. Plant-based protein powders were particularly concerning, showing three times more lead than whey-based alternatives, and chocolate-flavoured powders contained four times more lead than vanilla,” the report states.
Wide-ranging tests
The Clean Label Project conducted over 35,800 tests on contaminants, including heavy metals, 35,862 individual tests on contaminants (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury), and bisphenols (BPA, BPS).
“These chemicals, known for their potential to harm human health, can enter protein powders through environmental exposure, agricultural practices, and packaging materials,” the report noted.
The study’s findings highlight that despite the growing health-conscious market, many products may contain elevated levels of contaminants not reflected on traditional nutrition labels.
The Clean Label Project has demanded a new level of transparency and stricter safety standards to protect consumers from long-term exposure to these contaminants.
Clean Label says it sourced the popularity of powders from Nielsen and Amazon’s best-seller lists and supplemented them with top products from the natural and organic marketplace.
It also assessed multiple panels of industrial and environmental contaminants. Collaborating with an analytical chemistry lab, Clean Label Project amassed 35,862 data points from 70 brands and 160 products to benchmark the findings.
Plant-based powders
Plant-based protein powders contained five times more cadmium than their whey-based counterparts. Even the flavour of protein powder played a significant role in contamination levels, the project report states.
“Chocolate protein powders, for instance, were found to have a staggering 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavoured varieties. Meanwhile, whey-based protein powders generally showed much lower contaminant levels, highlighting the variability in product safety depending on the protein source and flavouring.”
The report says the primary sources of contaminants in protein powders are contaminated soils where ingredients are grown and the packaging used for these products.
At the agricultural level, companies can hold suppliers accountable to minimise pesticide and soil contamination during the growth cycle of their ingredients. However, the good news is that packaging has seen significant improvements in terms of BPA content.
Clean Label Project’s testing indicates that BPA (Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins) has been nearly eliminated from packaging, reflecting the industry’s response to consumer demand and controversy surrounding this chemical.
