How Products Are Listed

This site tracks protein powders in the context of independent lab testing that found lead in popular protein products. Here's what that means for what you see here.

The source data: Consumer Reports tested 23 popular protein powders and shakes and found that more than two-thirds contained more lead in a single serving than food safety experts consider safe to consume daily. Full findings.

What "tracked" means: Being listed on this site means a product is one Consumer Reports tested or referenced, or one we've researched in that context — not a guarantee of safety. Where Consumer Reports has published a specific result for a product, we link directly to it. Where we haven't confirmed product-specific test data, we say so.

Confirmed low-lead results: In a Consumer Reports reader-requested follow-up test, Ritual and Premier Protein were among the products that came back with low lead levels, meeting CR's threshold for safe daily or near-daily consumption.

Limitations: Lead levels can vary by batch and change over time as sourcing and manufacturing shift. This page reflects the most recent testing data we're aware of, not a live or ongoing lab process of our own. This isn't a substitute for medical advice.