The Consumer Reports Article
On October 14, 2025, Consumer Reports published a controversial article on the high levels of lead in protein powders. They stated that 2/3 of the protein powders that they tested had more lead in them than should be consumed in one day. Some up to 10 times the amount. This resulted in concerns and the information went viral. https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/
Here is my response:
Do Protein Powders Really Have Too Much Lead in Them?
Yes and no.
It all comes down to standards and measurements. Let’s go over the toxicity thresholds used by both the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration) and Consumer Reports.
The FDA notes on their website that they do not consider any amount of lead in the diet to be healthy. They do have guidance for adults of childbearing age and for children. Adults of childbearing age should consume less than 8.8 micrograms of lead per day and children less than 2.2 micrograms. The FDA recommendations also look more direction at the percentage of lead in foods particularly listing recommendations for plants based foods and cereals. These are measured in parts per billion and are directed at young children under 2 years of age. The thresholds here are 10-20 parts per billion. For a 30 grams scoop of protein powder that would be 0.3 – 0.6 micrograms per scoop.
Consumer Reports chose as its standard 0.5 micrograms in line with California Proposition 65 which requires products to disclose if they contain more than 0.5 micrograms of lead in them. This is a very conservative approach as the 0.5 micrograms amount was chosen as consuming 1000 times this amount is toxic for the reproductive system. Consumer Reports chose 0.5 micrograms as a daily threshold for intake of lead.
So Are Protein Powders Safe?
The Consumer Reports study does not confirm that unsafe amounts of lead are present in protein powders. The 0.5 micrograms threshold is much lower than that set by the FDA for adults and children over the age of 2. In fact, the 0.5 threshold is significant in that toxicity is considered only for individuals of reproductive age at a level 1000 times the 0.5 threshold. Considering the worst offending protein powder in the study was 10 times the 0.5 threshold that was still 100 times below the level considered reproductively toxic.
The FDA does note that no amount of lead in the diet is healthy but notes that plant based products and even water can contain lead and the amounts should be minimized below certain thresholds mentioned.
In the end, the Consumer Reports article does bring to light the risks of all supplements that are not governed by the FDA and third-party tested. This is not the first time that carcinogens have been found in supplements and it will not be the last. It is important to find a reputable brand for high quality protein and not just jump on the bandwagon supplements that your favorite influencer is selling.
My recommendation is to always try to get your protein from natural sources and only supplement in the amount you cannot consume from whole foods. I would also advise against protein powders as a supplement for children under 12 and would consult your doctor or dietitian for adolescents and pregnant women.
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Dr. Matt Reuschle PT, DPT
