October 15, 2025
Washington, D.C. — The Natural Products Association (NPA) today sharply denounced as alarmist, misleading and unscientific a new report from Consumer Reports alleging that two-thirds of protein powders and shakes “contained high levels of lead in a single serving.”
NPA appreciates and supports the industry’s efforts to reduce the inadvertent consumption of heavy metals. However, the reality is that the levels of lead flagged by Consumer Reports are far below amounts present in many foods, including some fruits and vegetables.
FDA’s own science-based action levels for lead in foods intended for infants and young children establish thresholds that are achievable and protect the public. While these guidelines do not apply directly to dietary supplements, they offer a critical perspective. The levels Consumer Reports calls “high” fall significantly below FDA’s established action thresholds.
Consumer Reports has a history of announcing “potentially harmful,” “concerning” and “troubling” findings of heavy metals in food, beverage and supplement products, causing fears out of step with reality.
“FDA’s position is clear: There’s a difference between detection and danger,” said NPA President and CEO Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., former director of the Division of Dietary Supplement Programs. “Consumer Reports knows that, but it doesn’t fit its narrative.”
Following concerns previously raised by Consumer Reports about the presence of heavy metals in protein powders, a 2020 analysis published in the journal Toxicology Reports sought to determine whether heavy metal concentrations reported in protein powder supplements posed any human health risks, based on the reported concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead in the protein powder. The results of that analysis suggested that the typical intake of dietary supplements would not result in adverse health effects due to heavy metals.
NPA emphasized that its members conduct rigorous ingredient testing under federally mandated current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) applicable to dietary supplement products and voluntarily screen for heavy metals using advanced analytical methods to ensure safety and compliance.
“Responsible supplement makers including those who belong to NPA are already going above and beyond what the law requires,” Fabricant said. “Meanwhile, Consumer Reports is using scare headlines to undermine the credibility of a $70 billion+ industry built on transparency, safety and science.”
NPA has a long history of defending consumers. When previous reports tried to conflate natural trace elements like inorganic arsenic with health hazards, NPA successfully pushed FDA and the industry toward more precise, evidence-based standards.
“Every time this issue comes up, NPA’s position has been the same — base public health decisions on data, not drama,” Fabricant said. “If any product exceeds safe limits, fix it. But let’s stop pretending that detecting parts per billion of naturally occurring elements reveals a public health emergency.”
