Is Your Protein Powder Safe? A Complete Guide to Heavy Metals, Lead Levels & the Safest Brands (2025)

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of heavy metals found in protein powders, especially lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. After the latest 2025 Consumer Reports investigation, many people are understandably asking:

• Is my protein powder contaminated?

• Are plant-based protein powders higher in lead?

• How much lead is safe for adults, kids, and pregnancy?

• Which protein powders should I avoid — and which are actually safe?

This guide breaks everything down in clear, accessible language, supported by Health Canada and FDA data.

I’ve broken down the latest Consumer Reports data, critiques of their methodology, and what real-world exposure actually looks like. I also created two infographics to make this easier to understand.

Protein Powder Heavy Metals Chart: Lead Levels Based on Consumer Reports Findings (2025)

Why Consumer Reports Sounded the Alarm (and Why It’s Not the Whole Story)

Consumer Reports evaluated protein powders using the California Proposition 65 limit for lead, which is 0.5 micrograms (µg) per day

But this limit is:

• Not a general safety limit

• Not used by Health Canada or the FDA

• Created for reproductive hazard warnings, not daily adult intake

• Set at a level 1,000× lower than the exposure that caused no harm in animal studies

So when a product “exceeds 0.5 µg,” it is exceeding California’s extremely strict reproductive warning threshold, not a realistic safety limit for adults.

Realistic Lead Intake: Health Canada & FDA Guidelines

According to Health Canada’s Total Diet Studies, Canadians already consume about 7–8 µg/day of lead from food alone. This comes from:

• vegetables

• grains

• root crops

• soil

• water

The FDA sets the following daily intake benchmarks:

• Adults: up to 12.5 µg/day

• Pregnancy & breastfeeding: 8.8 µg/day

• Children: 2.2 µg/day

These numbers include large safety buffers.

This means protein powders containing 0.3–1.0 µg per serving contribute very little to typical adult exposure.

How Much Lead Is Actually Concerning for Adults?

Lead has no completely safe threshold, but research gives us practical ranges:

• Low concern: Total intake under 8–12 µg/day

• Rising concern: 20–30 µg/day over long periods

• Clear physiological effects in adults: 40–100+ µg/day long-term(based on European Food Safety Authority data)

Most well-made protein powders fall between 0.1–1 µg, which is well within the low-concern zone.

Total Body Burden: Why All Sources of Heavy Metals & Contaminants Matter

Even though a small amount of lead from a clean, third-party tested protein powder is not necessarily concerning on its own, we need to remember that protein powder is only one potential source of exposure. Our bodies encounter heavy metals and contaminants from many places — and it’s the cumulative total, over months and years, that truly matters.

This is known as total body burden: the combined load of metals, chemicals, and toxins that the body must continually detoxify, buffer, or store in tissues.

Below is an expanded overview of the most relevant contaminants, where they come from, and why reducing unnecessary exposure — like poorly tested protein powders — helps keep your overall burden low.

Common Heavy Metals We Encounter Daily:

Lead

Found in:

• vegetables grown in contaminated soil

• grains (especially wheat)

• spices (turmeric, cinnamon, cocoa powder)

• tap water (older pipes)

• dust in older homes

• some supplements (poor quality or imported)

• protein powders (especially pea-based)

Lead accumulates in bone, brain tissue, and kidneys.

Cadmium

Found in:

• chocolate and cocoa

• grains (especially rice and wheat)

• leafy greens (spinach, lettuce)

• cigarette smoke (active + second-hand)

• contaminated soil and air from industrial areas

Cadmium accumulates in kidneys and can take decades to clear.

Arsenic

Found in:

• rice and rice-based products (rice milk, rice cereal, rice crackers)

• root vegetables (beets, carrots, potatoes)

• well water in some regions

• apple juice

• seafood (organic arsenic form—less toxic but contributes to load)

Chronic arsenic exposure is linked to metabolic, cardiovascular, and skin issues.

Mercury

Found in:

• certain fish (tuna, swordfish, mackerel, orange roughy)

• dental amalgam fillings

• some skin-lightening creams

• environmental pollution (coal burning)

Methylmercury crosses the placenta easily, which is why pregnant individuals must be particularly cautious.

Other Environmental Contaminants That Add to Body Burden

Beyond heavy metals, we’re exposed to dozens of other contaminants daily, including:

Microplastics & Plasticizers

Found in:

• bottled water

• food stored in plastic

• tea bags made from plastic fibers

• food packaging

• tap water (in some areas)

Includes chemicals like BPA, BPS, phthalates.

Pesticides & Herbicides

Found in:

• non-organic produce

• grains

• legumes

• wine, juices

• household pest treatments

• lawn care products

Glyphosate is the best-known example.

PFAS (“Forever Chemicals”)

Found in:

• non-stick pans

• waterproof clothing

• cosmetics

• fast-food wrappers

• some municipal drinking water systems

PFAS accumulate in the body for years.

Airborne Pollutants

Found in:

• vehicle exhaust

• wildfire smoke

• indoor air pollutants

• mold spores

• industrial emissions

These contribute to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

Why This Matters: The Cumulative Nature of Exposure

Your liver and kidneys can manage small amounts of contaminants — they do this every day. The problem arises when multiple low-level exposures from food, water, air, supplements, and household/environmental sources add up over time.

This is why even “safe” levels of contaminants become more meaningful when viewed in context:

• A protein powder adding 0.5–1 µg of lead might not matter if it’s the only source.

• But combine that with 7–8 µg/day from food, plus cadmium from grains, arsenic from rice, mercury from fish, and microplastics from water…

• And the overall burden slowly increases.

Protein powder is just one piece of the puzzle — so we want it to be the cleanest piece possible.

In other words:

Minimizing avoidable exposures (like choosing a clean, low-heavy-metal protein powder) frees up the body to handle the exposures we can’t control — the ones from air, water, soil, and everyday foods.

This is why third-party testing, transparent manufacturers, and safe sourcing matter so much in supplement quality.

To put all of this into context, it helps to look at how Consumer Reports evaluated these powders, the limits they used, and the scientific limitations of that approach. The next infographic summarizes their testing method at a glance.

Infographic: Consumer Reports Protein Powder Testing & Limitations

Consumer Reports Protein Powder Lead Testing: Methods, Limits & Scientific Critiques

Protein Powder Lead Levels: Full Chart by Brand (2025 Data)

Below is the full product-by-product breakdown based on Consumer Reports’ percentages, public lab values, and calculated estimates (0.5 µg × % of CR’s threshold).

This table makes everything much more concrete since they only gave a percentage of how much higher the product is above the 0.5 µg threshold. Also remember that this is per serving, and some servings are 25g while others could be 100g of protein, so that also skews interpretation. This is how Consumer Reports rated them:

Protein Powders With Highest Lead Levels (Avoid)

Not safe for daily use — especially for pregnancy, kids, or sensitive groups.

Product	Type	Lead per Serving (µg)
Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer	Plant	7.7 µg
Huel Black Edition (Chocolate)	Plant	6.3 µg

Use Only Occasionally (1x Weekly)

Safe for adults in small amounts; avoid for pregnancy/kids.

Product	Type	Lead (µg)
Garden of Life Sport Plant Protein	Plant	2.8
Momentous 100% Plant Protein	Plant	2.4

Acceptable for 2–6 Servings Per Week (Moderate Lead)

Reasonable for adults; not ideal for pregnancy/kids.

Product	Type	Lead (µg)
MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass	Beef	1.2
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass	Whey	1.0
Jocko Mölk RTD	Whey	1.0
Vega Sport Plant	Plant	0.9
Quest Protein Shake	RTD	0.8
ON Gold Standard RTD	Whey	0.8
Orgain Plant Protein	Plant	0.7
Equip Prime Protein	Beef	0.7
PlantFusion Complete	Plant	0.7
Ensure Plant	Plant	0.7
Muscle Milk Pro RTD	Dairy	0.6
KOS Plant Protein	Plant	0.6

Best for Daily Use (Low Lead)

Safe for adults; choose lowest levels if pregnant.

Product	Type	Lead (µg)
Owyn Pro Elite RTD	Plant	0.4
Transparent Labs Mass	Whey	0.4
Optimum Nutrition Whey	Whey	0.3
BSN Syntha-6	Whey	0.2
Momentous Whey Isolate	Whey Isolate	0.15
Dymatize Mass Gainer	Whey	0.13

No Detectable Lead (Safest Category)

Product	Type	Lead
MuscleTech 100% Mass Gainer	Whey	None detected

How to Choose a Safe, Low-Lead Protein Powder

Here are the simplest steps to protect your health:

1. Look for Trusted Third-Party Certifications

These ensure testing for heavy metals:

• NSF Certified for Sport

• USP Verified

• Informed Choice / Informed Sport

Choose companies that publish a Certificate of Analysis (COA) -- if they can't or won't, that's a red flag

2. Whey & Animal-Based Powders = Generally Lower Lead

If you tolerate whey, it’s often the cleanest option.

3. If Using Plant-Based Protein

• Avoid high-concentration pea-only blends without testing (though caution with rice-only as they can have issues with arsenic)

• Be sure to look for a COA

4. Consider Your Life Stage

As a reminder, the common adult daily intake of lead is around 7–8 µg/day from food alone, and the FDA sets the following daily intake benchmarks:

• Adults: up to 12.5 µg/day

• Pregnancy & breastfeeding: 8.8 µg/day

• Children: 2.2 µg/day

This means that for:

• Pregnancy / Trying To Conceive: choose powders under 1 µg

• Kids: whole foods first; only very low-lead powders

• Daily adult users: it's up to you to decide based on this information

For myself, I choose not to use a protein powder that contains more than about 1 µg of lead per serving. It’s not that an extra 2–3 µg/day from a powder is inherently alarming on its own; it’s the reality that we’re exposed to many other contaminants each day—from food, water, air, and household products—and we don’t have a practical way to measure our actual cumulative body burden. So if I can avoid adding more unnecessary exposure, especially when clean, responsibly tested options exist, that’s the choice I make.

⭐ TLDR Summary: What You Need to Know About Lead in Protein Powders

• Most adults consume 7–8 µg/day of lead from food alone (vegetables, grains, soil, water).

• The FDA’s adult intake benchmark is up to 12.5 µg/day, and well-tested protein powders typically add 0.3–1 µg per serving.

• Consumer Reports used California Prop 65’s extremely strict 0.5 µg/day limit, which is not a general safety standard.

• Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, PFAS, and microplastics add to your total exposure (body burden), so choosing low-heavy-metal supplements matters.

• Many professional-grade protein powders were not tested by Consumer Reports, and some of the cleanest options come from companies that publish COAs and use third-party testing.

• When in doubt, choose NSF, USP, or Informed Choice–certified protein powders, or request a Certificate of Analysis (COA).

• For pregnancy, TTC, and children, aim for powders with <1 µg per serving or rely more on whole foods.

• Safe, clean protein powders do exist — you just need to choose brands that are transparent with testing.

Final Thoughts: Choosing a Safe, Low-Lead Protein Powder

Choosing a protein powder doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. At the end of the day, the goal is simply to understand how much lead and heavy metals you may be adding from supplements, especially when small amounts already come from food, water, soil, and air.

In my opinion, a clean, third-party tested protein powder at or under 1 µg of lead per serving is an ideal target to aim for, and that's my personal target. It's not that an extra 2–3 µg/day of lead is inherently dangerous in isolation, but we just have no easy way to measure our total body burden of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, microplastics, PFAS, pesticides, and other environmental toxicants. When clean, responsibly tested options are available, I prefer not to add unnecessary exposure on top of what we already encounter daily.

It’s also important to remember that the Consumer Reports list is not comprehensive. They did not test many professional-grade protein powders, which often undergo stricter internal testing, third-party verification, and provide Certificates of Analysis (COAs) on request. Some of the cleanest products on the market—especially those used in clinical or practitioner settings—were not included in their report at all. So, Consumer Reports is best viewed as a helpful snapshot, not “the full list” of what’s safe or unsafe. And don't forget that the actual serving size itself is very important to factor in as they can vary greatly in protein content.

The takeaway? Use Consumer Reports as a starting point, then look deeper. Choose brands that are transparent, willing to provide a COA, and ideally NSF, USP, or Informed Choice certified. Those companies openly verify heavy-metal testing and don’t shy away from scrutiny. I hope this information can help reassure you that many products are perfectly safe to consume, and you are more informed to make the decisions that are right for you.