A new study shows some popular protein powders and shakes lining grocery store shelves contain unsafe amounts of lead, with several products far exceeding what experts say is safe to consume in a single day.
Researchers recently tested 23 top-selling protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes and discovered more than two-thirds contained more lead per serving than experts consider safe for daily consumption, according to Consumer Reports.
“For many people, there’s more to lose than you’re gaining,” Tunde Akinleye, the Consumer Reports food safety researcher who led the project, said.
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Plant-based powders were among the worst offenders, containing nine times more lead on average than dairy-based options like whey.
Two protein powders, Naked Nutrition’s “Vegan Mass Gainer” and Huel’s “Black Edition,” had so much lead that experts warned consumers to avoid using them entirely.
A single serving reached between 1,200 and 1,600 percent of Consumer Reports’ level of concern for lead.
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While the dairy-based powders that were tested typically had lower levels, half still contained enough lead to make daily use unsafe, according to Consumer Reports.
“It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,” Akinleye said.
However, a spokesperson for Huel, based out of England, told FOX Business in an email that it was “extremely frustrated” by the study, arguing the benchmark for lead levels was based upon an “ultra conservative” threshold.
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The spokesperson also noted that trace minerals of lead occur naturally in crops and that it has conducted 17 independent tests over the last three years alone on Huel’s “Black Edition,” which consistently show lead levels “well within all recognized safety limits.”
“It is important to understand that the Consumer Reports approach reflects a uniquely cautious regulation rather than an internationally accepted measure of consumer safety,” the spokesperson said.
The new report comes 15 years after Consumer Reports’ previous test in 2010. At the time, more products had undetectable levels of lead, according to the nonprofit.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not review, approve or test protein powders before they hit store shelves.
Over the past year, high-protein grocery items have surged in popularity, with shoppers seeking products that support muscle repair, immune function and metabolism. Even Starbucks recently announced it was “going all-in on protein” with the arrival of its Protein Lattes and Protein Cold Foam.
Naked Nutrition and Huel did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Bardolf contributed to this report.
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