Reminder that CR is an activist group, not a scientific or medical organization, and has been caught with their pants down being bad a science or just straight up spreading misinformation in the past, specifically around foods and toxicology. Last year it was an article spreading a bunch of misinformation about pesticides on produce that everyone lost their minds about despite it being a complete load of bollocks. Reading what actual medical experts have said about this so far, it seems like this report is likely more of the same.
If you are concerned, focus on looking for products that are certified by 3rd party independent testing, specifically from NSF which is probably the most recognized and respected independent testing agency.
Consumer Reports uses the very unscientific and incredibly chemophobic Prop 65 levels for lead, which were set in 1989 without any scientific basis.
Scientifically-grounded exposure guidelines, the interim reference levels (IRLs), are based on exposure levels that convert to blood lead levels.
The IRLs are 8.8 ”g per day for reproductive age females and 12.5 ”g for general adults. These are 17.6-times and 25-times higher daily exposure levels compared to the Prop 65 levels, respectively, and are extremely conservative.
A daily exposure level of lead of 12.5 ”g equals a blood lead level of 0.5 ”g/dL. Adverse health effects attributed to lead exposure in adults are not seen until blood lead levels reach 10â20 ”g/dL.
In the US, adults have lead blood levels around 0.5-1.5 ”g/dL â lead is part of our planet. The incredibly conservative IRLs are designed to keep us safe.
These protein powders arenât poisoning youâbut we SHOULD be regulating the supplement industry.
Why isnât the supplement industry regulated? You can thank politics for that too, when the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed. That removed all regulatory oversight of supplements from the FDA, and opened the floodgates to a multi-billion dollar industry.
Optimum Nutrition vanilla ice cream flavor tastes, well, like ice cream, especially when mixed with milk and ice. Bonus that itâs frequently on sale at Costco.
At this point its just a source for protein, not something i look for any bit of enjoyment from. I did recently purchase the Fairlife premixed shakes from Costco and was initially put off by the sweetener flavor, but after getting past that turned to really enjoy them.
I buy my whey protein in bulk 5 lb bags. Iâm guessing itâs probably as safe as most whey. Although I am getting forgetful. Maybe lead or maybe old age.
Since itâs now national news maybe the price will drop as people stop buying it.
I googled it for them. Just another instance of CR not knowing how to do (or intentionally misrepresenting) research and toxicology.
The report I assume you are referencing looked specifically at phthalates. The European Food Safety Authority has one of the most strict health guidelines in the world on phthalates with a maximum daily allowable intake of 50 micrograms/kg of bodyweight. At 68kg/~150lbs you would need to drink 170 servings EVERY DAY of the tested Fairlife product to approach that limit. Additionally, phthalates have an extremely short halflife inside the human body and there no evidence that they bioaccumulate over time.
I just bought a whole load of unflavoured pea protein from ProteinWorks in the UK. They always have a sale on of some sort, but the discounts are even bigger than normal, probably thanks to the scaremongering article.
