Consumer Reports (the US equivalent of Which? in the UK) recently reported on toxic heavy metals in protein powders sold in the USA.[1] A global obsession with protein has made the selling of high protein foods and drinks a multi-billion dollar market, and this has been fuelled by intense marketing of protein products on social media from fitness influencers. The Clean Label Project in the US reported on contamination of protein powders in 2024[2] and the new data suggests little has changed. The latest tests of 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes from popular brands sold in the US reported that heavy metal contamination has become even more prevalent and two products tested had so much lead in them that their use at all is concerning. Products made from plant-based ingredients were more likely to have lead contamination that dairy or whey protein-based products. This is likely to be due to the bioaccumulation of lead in soybean crops, originating in contaminated soils. Brazil, the United States, and Argentina together produce over 80% of the world’s supply of soyabeans with Brazil providing 40%. As far as we are aware there has to date been no specific analysis of protein products sold in the UK for lead and other heavy metal content.
[1] High Levels of Lead in Protein Powder and Shakes – Consumer Reports
