Some of the companies address this issue directly, like Orgain (my favorite, all-around). They say these contaminants are in natural levels. I read the Consumer Reports article, and it did NOT say specifically if the contaminant levels are any more than the pre-processed ingredients themselves. And if so, then why? Does extracting protein somehow concentrate heavy metals? And why would I get more lead from vegan protein powder than like, a carrot? I asked them (CR) on their Facebook post, and they did not respond. Those would be key things to know.
I did see that Vega was shown to be one that scored the worst. But there are HUNDREDS of vegan products. Very few others were listed, including Orgain, one of the biggest brands. That's also key, as the Vegan products could actually have faired worse, as a matter of chance, only because too few products were tested. If they didn't test Orgain, how thoroughly did they do their job? As I remember, Consumer Reports was not the company that did the testing. They were referencing the work of another research company. And the though their article was more recent, I think the research was older...
Consumer Reports seemed to suggest that it's likely that all vegan products' heavy metal levels would be slightly elevated compared to animal products, likely due to (unknown?) processes in animals that filter these out to some degree.
Personally, I don't worry about it. Maybe that's a little careless, but we know vegans with educated diets are generally healthier. We so far haven't heard of a trend of people getting sick from vegan protein sources. I use them extensively, and feel and look the best I ever have. I have no health problems, other than stuff I was born with.
I'm going to ask both companies to take a look at my answer here, and see what they say. Who knows, they may have a rep on here... They should...
[UPDATES]
From Vega:
Hi Bradley,
Thanks for reaching out. I hear your concerns and at Vega we deeply
value our consumers’ input. There is a lot of misinformation out there
in regards to The Clean Label report and their claimed findings so we
appreciate you coming directly to us so we can provide you with more
information.
The Clean Label Project report incorrectly characterizes the safety
and quality of Vega products. We have not seen the raw data on which
Clean Label Project based their report, or the full methodology they
used, as they will not release it, so that makes it difficult to
properly respond. That said, we’re confident in the quality and
safety of our products, such as the Vega shake you’ve come to love as
a part of your daily smoothie. We test every lot of our products for
quality and safety, which includes testing for the following heavy
metals: Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury. In the Clean Label
project report, whey based protein ranked higher (showing lower heavy
metal detection) than plant-based proteins. While we can’t speak the
testing results and methods of this report, as mentioned, we can
explain why plant-based proteins may have heavy metals that you may
not see in a whey protein Plant-based protein powders are made from
plants extract, typically ground, isolated and/or concentrated,
whereas whey protein is derived from dairy. Plants absorb naturally
occurring minerals from the soil which can be reflected in the final
product. Many soils through the US and world contain trace amounts of
heavy metals, for a multitude of reasons. The more processed an
ingredient is, the less of many nutrients it will have, but this also
may include heavy metals. The proteins in our blends are minimally
processed. We’re advocates of plant-based protein for many reasons
from sustainability to nutrient density. In addition to minimal
processing, there are no growth hormones or antibiotics in plant-based
protein.
In addition, our tubs contain no BPS or BPA plastic. Our tubs are
produced from post-consumer HDPE plastic. These bottles contain no
Bisphenol A (BPA) nor any BPS (an analog of BPA; in the Bisphenol
family).
You might find this blog post interesting where we talk about
sustainability of our packaging which is an extremely important caused
to Vega. You can check it out here:
https://myvega.com/blogs/content/packaging-sustainability
As mentioned above, The Clean Label Project report provides a
misleading mischaracterization of the facts and fails to recognize
that Vega’s appropriate testing data reflects that Vega’s products
are, in fact, safe for consumers and in compliance with all applicable
laws, including Proposition 65. The Clean Label Project report
incorrectly characterizes the safety and quality of Vega products. In
fact, California’s law governing consumer exposure to certain
chemicals (Proposition 65) expressly allows for certain amounts of
chemicals to be present in a product. These amounts are called the
“safe harbor” levels, and they are calculated based on a consumer’s
daily exposure level, not just the level of chemical present in a
product (i.e., what testing results show). The daily exposure
calculation is very complex, requiring expert analysis and relying on
variables that likely were not factored into the Clean Label Project
report. Applying the appropriate measures and certain applicable
court- and Attorney General-approved guidelines for proper, accepted
scientific and statistical analysis, Vega’s testing data conclusively
establishes that its products on average fall within California’s
stringent safe harbor levels for daily exposure. To the contrary, the
Clean Label Project report does not reflect testing results performed
under the applicable guidelines.
All soils throughout the U.S. and world contain trace amounts of heavy
metals for a multitude of reasons. The proteins in our blends are of
the highest quality, are Non-GMO Project verified, and are minimally
processed, so that we can retain as much nutrition as possible. Since
plants absorb minerals from the soil, including heavy metals such as
lead, these minerals may be reflected in the final product. These same
heavy metals can also be found in many foods you find at your local
grocery store. Recognizing this fact, the FDA published a study on
elemental minerals, including heavy metals such has cadmium and lead,
in a variety of foods. See “Total Diet Study Statistics on element
Results,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition (December 11, 2007), available at
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodScienceResearch/TotalDietStudy/UCM243059.pdf.
While we don't release our testing methods or results, please be
assured that we test every lot of Vega products to ensure our products
are safe, compliant, and meet not only government regulations but also
our high quality standards and we would never release a product that
put the health of our consumers in jeopardy.
I hope you find this information useful and if you have any other
questions feel free to circle back to me.
In Health, Nicola Anderson RHN, ROHP Education Specialist
Vega's Education Team is happy to assist you with information about
our products. If you require medical advice or information please
contact a health care professional. Please remember the information
contained in this email message is for informational purposes only.
The statements in this email have not been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease.
From Orgain:
Hi Bradley,
Thank you for your email. The safety and well-being of our customers
is our top priority. Heavy metals are naturally occurring in the soil;
therefore, any ingredient that is grown in the soil will have
naturally occurring amounts of heavy metals. When food plants grow,
they absorb these minerals through their roots and into their fibers.
This is true whether the food is home-grown broccoli, store-bought
spinach, or the organic yellow peas, chia seeds, and brown rice from
which we make Orgain. Because of this, plant-based proteins will
always have traceable amounts of heavy metals in them, particularly
when compared with whey proteins.
You'll be pleased to know ingredients in Orgain products that are
known to be at risk for high levels of heavy metals are tested for
arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, and lead. We carefully source our
ingredients and review testing on each individual ingredient. Every
lot is tested and conforms to our rigid specifications for quality and
consistency. All raw materials have strict specifications, and their
Certificates of Analysis are kept on record. Orgain meets all
applicable federal and state food and product safety laws, and our
products are manufactured according to current U.S. Good Manufacturing
Practices. Orgain is certified USDA Organic and therefore adheres to
the strictest safety and quality standards with no hormones,
antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, artificial flavors or colors.
We are very proud of the clean, organic nutrition we provide and
appreciate the chance to put your mind at ease. Thank you for reaching
out to us! In Good Health,
Xxxxx X Consumer Support
