Consumer Reports Tests 5 More Protein Powders: All Pass Safety Tests
Clean Simple Eats, Equate, Premier Protein Powder, Truvani, and Ritual all tested safe for daily or near-daily use
Published: January 9, 2026 | Last Updated: January 9, 2026
✅ Key Takeaways
- All 5 new powders tested safer than 17 out of 23 original brands
- Clean Simple Eats is the new #1 safest chocolate protein (0.21 µg lead - 42% of limit)
- Equate (Walmart) is the new budget champion ($0.60/serving, 55% of limit)
- 4 out of 5 safe for daily use (Ritual safe for 6.5 servings/week)
- Proves manufacturers CAN make safe chocolate protein - even plant-based
What Consumer Reports Just Tested
On January 8, 2026, Consumer Reports published follow-up testing on 5 reader-requested protein powders after thousands asked: "What about MY brand?"
The results are encouraging: All 5 products tested significantly safer than the majority of powders from the October 2025 study. This proves that safe manufacturing is possible - even for chocolate-flavored and plant-based proteins that the industry claimed were "harder to keep clean."
💡 Why This Matters: Consumer Reports' October 2025 study found that 74% of protein powders exceeded safe lead limits - some by more than 10x. This new study shows that contamination is NOT inevitable. Companies that prioritize safety testing can make clean products.
Complete Test Results: 5 New Protein Powders Ranked
Consumer Reports tested multiple samples from 2-3 product lots of each powder to ensure results weren't skewed by outliers. All products were chocolate-flavored to control variables. Here's how they ranked:
How These Results Compare to October 2025 Testing
Consumer Reports' October 2025 study tested 23 protein powders and found that 17 exceeded safe lead limits (74%). Here's how the 5 new products stack up:
| Product | Lead (µg) | % of Limit | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Simple Eats (NEW) | 0.21 | 42% | #9 out of 28 |
| Equate (NEW) | 0.27 | 55% | #10 out of 28 |
| Premier Protein Powder (NEW) | 0.38 | 77% | #11 out of 28 |
| Truvani (NEW) | 0.46 | 93% | #12 out of 28 |
| Ritual (NEW) | 0.53 | 107% | #13 out of 28 |
| OWYN Pro Elite (Oct 2025) | 0.60 | 120% | #14 out of 28 |
| Orgain Organic (Oct 2025) | 0.72 | 143% | #19 out of 28 |
All 5 new products rank in the top half of all 28 tested products. Clean Simple Eats would rank #9 overall if combined with the original 23.
Why These Brands Are Cleaner: Manufacturing Secrets Revealed
Consumer Reports asked all 5 companies what they do differently to achieve such low contamination levels. The answers reveal a stark divide in the industry:
🔬 Truvani: Testing Every Single Lot
Derek Halpern, Truvani Co-Founder: "I've been told routinely by my manufacturers that the volume of tests that we ask for far outstrips anyone else they've ever worked with. I just want a test result for every lot—that doesn't seem that ridiculous to me."
✅ Truvani has tested its chocolate protein powder 162 times in the last 12 months. Every lot is tested for heavy metals before sale. Ingredients that don't meet internal standards are rejected.
🌿 Ritual: Ingredient Traceability + Public Transparency
Lindsay Dahl, Ritual Chief Impact Officer: "We openly share the final place of manufacturing and the names of our suppliers for the public to see. Ingredient traceability is the best way to help reduce contaminants."
✅ Ritual publishes: Heavy metal test results for recent lots on their website, exact supplier names (Puris-brand pea protein, Cocoa Horizons cocoa), and sourcing countries. They spent 3 years testing cocoa suppliers before launching chocolate flavor.
💰 The Cost of Safety Testing
Dr. Pieter Cohen (Harvard Medical School) explained to Consumer Reports why not all companies test rigorously:
"It can be more expensive to ensure that every vat of your product is very low in lead. And without a requirement that it be that way, it's unlikely that the industry as a whole is going to move in that direction."
The problem: FDA doesn't require pre-market testing. Companies that cut corners save money. Companies that test every lot spend more but produce safer products.
⚠️ Why Most Brands Don't Test As Much
Halpern suspects many companies rely on spot-checks or certificates of analysis from ingredient suppliers instead of testing every finished lot. This is cheaper and still technically meets FDA requirements - but allows contaminated batches to slip through.
The Chocolate Protein Myth: Debunked
For years, the supplement industry claimed that chocolate-flavored proteins are inherently harder to keep clean due to cocoa contamination. These new results prove that's not an excuse:
- ✅ Clean Simple Eats chocolate: 0.21 µg lead (42% of limit)
- ✅ Equate chocolate: 0.27 µg lead (55% of limit)
- ✅ Premier Protein chocolate: 0.38 µg lead (77% of limit)
- ✅ Truvani chocolate (plant-based): 0.46 µg lead (93% of limit)
Meanwhile, in the October 2025 study:
- 🚫 Garden of Life chocolate: 2.76 µg lead (552% of limit)
- 🚫 Quest chocolate: 2.87 µg lead (574% of limit)
- 🚫 Vega chocolate: 5.94 µg lead (1,188% of limit)
💡 The Takeaway: Chocolate contamination is NOT inevitable. Companies that source carefully and test rigorously can make chocolate protein with minimal lead.
Plant-Based Protein: Finally Two Safe Options
The October 2025 study was devastating for plant-based protein users: 14 out of 15 plant proteins failed safety tests. OWYN was the only safe option.
Now there are TWO verified-safe plant proteins:
🥇 OWYN Pro Elite
Safe for daily use. The original safe plant protein champion from October 2025 testing.
Read OWYN Analysis →🥈 Truvani Plant-Based
Safe for daily use. NEW January 2026. Actually cleaner than OWYN with even more rigorous testing.
Buy Truvani →If you're vegan or plant-based, you now have TWO safe options instead of one. Both are pea protein-based and safe for daily consumption.
Updated Complete Rankings: All 28 Protein Powders Tested
Combining the October 2025 study (23 products) with the January 2026 follow-up (5 products), here's the complete safety ranking of all 28 protein powders tested by Consumer Reports:
| Overall Rank | Product | Lead (µg) | % of Limit | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | MuscleTech 100% Mass Gainer | Not Detected | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #2 | Dymatize ISO-100 | Below Detection | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #3 | Momentous Whey Isolate | Below Detection | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #4 | BSN Syntha-6 | Below Detection | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #5 | Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard | Below Detection | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #6 | Premier Protein RTD Shake | 0.59 | 118% | ✅ Safe |
| #7 | Body Fortress Whey | Non-Detectable | 0% | ✅ Safe |
| #8 | Pure Protein Shake | 0.68 | 136% | ⚠️ Caution |
| #9 | 🆕 Clean Simple Eats Chocolate | 0.21 | 42% | ✅ Safe |
| #10 | 🆕 Equate Whey Chocolate | 0.27 | 55% | ✅ Safe |
| #11 | 🆕 Premier Protein Powder Chocolate | 0.38 | 77% | ✅ Safe |
| #12 | 🆕 Truvani Plant-Based Chocolate | 0.46 | 93% | ✅ Safe |
| #13 | 🆕 Ritual Essential Protein Chocolate | 0.53 | 107% | ⚠️ Caution |
| #14 | OWYN Pro Elite | 0.60 | 120% | ✅ Safe |
| #15-28 | [Remaining 14 products from October study with higher contamination - see complete rankings] | |||
What This Means for You
✅ Action Steps
If You're Using One of These 5 New Brands:
Congratulations! Your protein powder is verified safe by Consumer Reports. You can continue using it with confidence. All 5 rank in the top half of safest protein powders ever tested.
If You're Using a Brand NOT Tested:
Heavy metal content is unknown. Consumer Reports has now tested 28 products total. If your brand wasn't included, there's no public testing data. Consider switching to a verified-safe option or requesting third-party testing from the manufacturer.
If You're Using a Brand That Failed October Testing:
Switch immediately. These new results prove that safe alternatives exist at every price point. There's no reason to continue consuming contaminated protein.
Check Your Brand's Safety →FDA Still Has No Lead Limits for Protein Powders
Despite these encouraging results, there are still no federal limits for heavy metals in protein powders. The FDA doesn't require pre-market testing, and companies are left to self-regulate.
Consumer Reports' petition calling for strict FDA standards has garnered over 43,000 signatures since October 2025.
"The FDA is still lacking enforceable lead limits for protein powders and dietary supplements. Having these standards in place would push the industry to consistently make products with lower levels of lead, which our test results certainly demonstrate is possible for companies to do."
— Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports Director of Food Policy
Ritual's CEO, Katerina Schneider, went further - calling on Congress to "empower the FDA to establish health-protective limits for heavy metals in supplements and protein powder."
📢 Want to Help?
Sign Consumer Reports' petition: action.consumerreports.org/protein_powder
Our Recommendations: Updated Top 10 Safe Protein Powders (2026)
Based on all 28 Consumer Reports tests, here are our updated top recommendations:
🏆 Best Overall Safe Protein Powders
- MuscleTech 100% Mass Gainer - Lead non-detected (#1 overall)
- Clean Simple Eats Chocolate - 0.21 µg (NEW, best chocolate)
- Equate Whey Chocolate - 0.27 µg (NEW, best budget at ~$0.60/serv)
- Premier Protein Powder Chocolate - 0.38 µg (NEW, cleaner than RTD)
- Truvani Plant-Based Chocolate - 0.46 µg (NEW, 2nd safe plant protein)
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard - Lead below detection
- Body Fortress - Non-detectable, $0.67/serving
- Dymatize ISO-100 - Lead below detection
- Momentous - Lead below detection, NSF Certified
- OWYN Pro Elite - 0.60 µg (still #1 from October, plant-based)
See our complete Best Protein Powders 2025 buying guide for detailed analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Are all chocolate protein powders contaminated?
No. These new results prove chocolate protein CAN be made safely. Clean Simple Eats, Equate, Premier Protein Powder, and Truvani all have chocolate flavors with minimal lead (42-93% of limit). The industry's excuse that "chocolate is inherently contaminated" is debunked.
❓ Which brand is the safest chocolate protein now?
Clean Simple Eats Chocolate Brownie Batter at 0.21 µg lead (42% of limit). This is the lowest lead level ever found in a chocolate-flavored protein powder by Consumer Reports.
❓ Is Premier Protein powder safer than the RTD shake?
Yes. Premier Protein's powder tested at 0.38 µg (77% of limit), while the RTD shake tested at 0.59 µg (118% of limit) in October. The powder is 35% cleaner. Both are safe for daily use, but the powder is the better choice.
❓ What about Equate vs Body Fortress for budget protein?
Equate is now the safer budget choice. Equate tested at 0.27 µg (55% of limit) vs Body Fortress at non-detectable but Clean Label certified. Equate is also slightly cheaper at ~$0.60/serving vs $0.67. Both are excellent budget options.
❓ Is Truvani worth the premium price vs OWYN?
Truvani is actually cleaner. Truvani tested at 0.46 µg (93% of limit) vs OWYN at 0.60 µg (120%). Both are safe for daily use, but Truvani has 23% less lead and tests every single production lot (162 tests in 12 months). If you can afford the premium, Truvani is the better choice for plant-based protein.
❓ Why is Ritual slightly over the limit but still recommended?
Context matters. Ritual tested at 107% of CR's limit (0.53 µg), which is still safer than 15 out of 23 products from the October study. CR's limit has a wide safety margin built in. Ritual is safe for 6.5 servings per week (nearly daily) and demonstrates strong transparency by publishing test results publicly.
❓ Should I switch from my current brand to one of these?
If your brand wasn't tested by Consumer Reports, yes. With 28 products now tested, you have verified-safe options at every price point ($0.60 to $2.50/serving). There's no reason to use an untested brand when safe alternatives exist. Use our Brand Safety Checker to verify your current protein.
Related Articles
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Take Free Safety Quiz →Sources:
- Consumer Reports: "These 5 Protein Powders Had Low Levels of Lead" (January 8, 2026)
- Consumer Reports: Heavy metal testing methodology (January 2026)
- Consumer Reports: "Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead" (October 2025)
- Interviews with Truvani co-founder Derek Halpern and Ritual Chief Impact Officer Lindsay Dahl
Last Updated: January 9, 2026