Protein Powder Contamination: Lead and Cadmium Levels Shock Researchers

A new investigation reveals alarming levels of lead and cadmium in many commercially available protein powders, with organic, plant-based, and chocolate-flavored products showing the highest contamination. The Clean Label Project's report found that organic protein powders contained three times more lead and twice the cadmium compared to non-organic options; plant-based powders had three times more lead than whey-based products; and chocolate-flavored powders contained four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored ones. Nearly half of the 160 protein powder samples tested exceeded California's Proposition 65 safety limits. Consumers are advised to choose pea protein powders or whey/egg-based vanilla protein powders and to actively inquire about contaminant levels from brands.