Fifteen years ago, consumer advocacy outlet Consumer Reports first assessed protein powders, a notoriously unregulated and popular segment of the wellness industry.

Consumer Reports revisited the protein powder market in a recent investigative piece, and despite significant market growth in the intervening years, the CR team found that many of the problems they uncovered a decade and a half ago were worse, not better.

What's happening?

At the beginning of the piece, Consumer Reports observed what TikTok and Instagram evidence on a daily basis — protein powders had exploded from a "niche product into the centerpiece of a multibillion-dollar wellness craze."

In February 2024, CBS News indicated that the supplement industry, which it described as subject to "very little regulation and oversight," was worth over $39 billion as of 2022.

Protein powders aren't just everywhere; they're also overtly and covertly marketed on social media, in retail environments, and in culture. These supplements are heavily pushed upon those seeking weight loss tools, as well as folks who want to gain weight.

Given their ubiquity, it's easy to assume that protein powders must be safe to consume — otherwise, every Crunch or Planet Fitness would be a mass casualty zone. But Consumer Reports' findings said otherwise.

The outlet tested 23 powders in total, finding that in two-thirds of the samples, "a single serving contained more lead than CR's food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day." Some of the samples contained an order of magnitude more lead than that daily limit. 

Even more troubling, perhaps, was that the findings showed that plant-based protein powders, which are expected to be healthier and more environmentally sustainable, were among the highest offenders.

Consumer Reports food safety expert Tunde Akinleye led the testing and was dismayed at the results.

"It's concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested," Akinleye said.

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Why are these findings important?

Protein powders are far more popular and commonplace than they were not long ago.

Consumer Reports' secondary findings were equally jarring. Among them was the fact that nearly all plant-based protein powders sampled in their testing contained lead, hinting at a higher risk for consumers who rely on sources of protein other than meat.

It's too soon to say how aware these protein powder companies of their lead levels, but if a company were aware and didn't act to reduce that, it could be seen as a form of greenwashing — in this case, with protein powder manufacturers leveraging the popularity of plant-based diets to make a profit from health- or eco-conscious consumers while manufacturing a substandard product.

Greenwashing broadly undermines consumer confidence, discourages shoppers from trusting brands' pledges, and harms companies whose marketing claims are valid.

Again, though, this does not mean each brand produced a product with high lead levels on purpose. Plants can absorb lead from the soil or irrigation if the water supply is tainted in some way, and farms can often take steps to resolve this. Similar problems have arisen with chocolate, which often ends up in protein powders as well, and more recently in a separate Consumer Reports finding, cassava flour. 

What can be done about it?

As Consumer Reports observed, the Food and Drug Administration "doesn't review, approve, or test supplements like protein powders."

The outlet emphasized that daily use was a far larger risk than occasional exposure.

Mindful grocery shopping is one way to minimize exposure to contaminants in unregulated supplements, and growing food at home is another way to know what's on your dinner plate.

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