Nearly half of the protein powders evaluated in a recent analysis contained enough toxic heavy metals to exceed California’s Proposition 65 safety standards, one of the strictest in the country, if not the world. Experts say there is.
Heavy metals can enter food through soil and water contamination and manufacturing processes.
While heavy metal contamination reform is underway at the state and federal level for food sold to children, Bowen said the same discussion needs to be had for the rest of the food supply.
“Athletes of all abilities reach for protein powders to supplement their already healthy lifestyle choices. This is due to the extent of contamination in our food supply and the need for federal food safety regulatory leadership. This is another proof.”
Testing protein powders with a focus on top-selling brands
To investigate potential contaminants in protein powders on the market, the organization purchased 160 products from 70 top-selling brands representing 83% of the market share. Researchers then conducted more than 35,000 individual tests for a variety of contaminants, including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury), bisphenols (BPA and BPS), and other industrial chemicals.
Key findings from the report include:
- On average, organic protein powders contained three times more lead than non-organic products. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lead contamination in protein powders is a concern because there is no safe level of lead exposure.
- Plant-based protein powders made from sources such as soybeans, rice, and peas contained three times more lead than whey-based protein powders.
- The plant-based powder contained five times more cadmium than the whey-based product. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and is toxic to several organs, including the kidneys, liver, and bones.
Chocolate protein powder contains more heavy metals
The chocolate-flavored protein powders tested in this study contained on average four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored protein powders.
Results consistent with other studies on toxic metals in food
The key finding that out of the 160 protein powders tested, nearly half exceeded California’s Prop 65 safety standards for toxic metals, was no surprise, he said. Jacob M. Handsa researcher in the Frame-Corr laboratory at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
“These findings are consistent with what has been reported in other studies, in part because Prop 65 standards are among the most stringent in the country, if not the world. ,” says Hands.
A California initiative passed nearly 40 years ago set acceptable levels for dangerous chemicals and toxins by identifying exposure levels that have been proven to cause no harm to humans or laboratory animals. . Proposition 65 requires that this “unobservable effect level” be divided by 1,000 to provide a sufficient margin of safety.
“This high standard is not a bad thing, but it can falsely cause a lot of anxiety in consumers,” Hands says.
This report does not include the actual amount of toxins detected, only the number of products that exceeded the Prop 65 threshold. Without that information, it’s hard to know how concerning these findings are, Hands says.
Critics of the report point to a lack of transparency in testing and product selection
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), an industry group representing dietary supplements (including protein powders), also objected to the Clean Label report.
What can people do with protein powder?
For those who want to buy the most “toxin-free” powder possible, the report’s authors offer the following recommendations:
- Choose a whey-based or collagen-based powder. These protein sources typically have lower levels of heavy metals than plant-based protein sources.
- Choose products with vanilla flavor. Chocolate-flavored protein powders tend to have higher levels of lead and cadmium.
- Please contact us regarding foreign object inspection. Ask your favorite protein powder brand how they test for heavy metals and other chemicals.
- Buy brands you trust. Look for brands that value transparency and quality control, especially those that are third-party tested for contaminants.
