After dangerous levels of heavy metals were found in common protein powders, Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating whether manufacturers are in violation of The Deceptive Trade Practices Act of Texas, which prohibits deceptive advertising and failure to disclose product problems.
“Texans deserve clean protein powders without having to worry whether the products contain heavy metals or other harmful chemicals,” Paxton said. “I am committed to doing everything I can to help Make America Healthy Again.”
After testing 160 common protein powders, the Clean Label Project found that about half of the products exceeded at least one safety threshold for lead, cadmium, mercury, and/or arsenic.
Paxton argues these toxins pose a threat to Texans’ health given the Food and Drug Administration recognizes no safe level of exposure to lead and considers cadmium, arsenic, and mercury toxic above set levels.
The Clean Label Project also found that the protein source and flavor impact contamination levels.
Plant-based protein powders are the most contaminated, containing three times more lead and five times more cadmium than whey-based products. Additionally, on average chocolate-flavored protein powders had a shocking 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored products.
A separate Consumer Reports investigation of 23 protein powders found similar contamination levels. These heavy metals can leach into products through contaminated soil or through the packaging process, causing Consumer Reports to conclude that manufacturers have the ability and duty to reduce heavy metal content.
