Page 31 - FoodFocusThailand No.184 July 2021

SPECIAL FOCUS

Clean Label and Heavy Metals out of 134 of the protein powders contained twice the regulatory limit (3 micrograms) of BPA
There is new study of protein powders finds and one product had 79.9 micrograms of BPA – in just one serving. Other protein powders
elevated levels of heavy metals and BPA in 53 tested completely free of BPA.
leading brands. The new independent study The study data was analyzed by Clean Label Project’s Technical Advisory Board of
shows lead, BPA, mercury, cadmium and statisticians, epidemiologists, food safety scientists and registered dieticians before being
arsenic are present in top-selling nutritional published. The study results are available now to the public and media on CleanLabelProject.
protein powder supplement products. More org. Study results on the nonprofit’s website are presented in a 5-star rating system that
than 75% of plant-based protein powders had names each product tested and shows how contaminated it is compared to other products
measurable levels of lead, while one contained in the same study. The study is in the process of being peer-reviewed.
more than 25 times the allowed regulatory limit
of BPA in just one serving. Service Info C002
On 27 February 2018, Put down that
smoothie! A new independent study released More Information
by the Clean Label Project, shows that many
nutritional protein powder supplements contain
heavy metals and BPA. Contaminants found
included high levels of lead, BPA, mercury,
cadmium and arsenic – substances which
have been linked to multiple cancers,
reproductive harm and brain damage. The เอกสารอ้างอิง/References
non-profit selected and purchased off the store https://www.foodnavigator.com
shelf or online 134 of the top selling protein https://cleanlabelproject.org
powder products according to Nielsen, the
Amazon.com best seller list, and fitness blog
consumer favorites.
An independent lab then tested each
protein powder for industrial and environmental
contaminants. The worst offenders were the
plant-based protein powders, which lab testing
revealed the following:
• Approximately 75% had measurable
levels of lead. The laboratory discovered that
the plant-based protein powders each
contained on average twice the amount of lead
per serving of other products.
• In addition to lead, the plant-based
protein powders contained mercury, cadmium
and arsenic, in several cases above health-
based guidelines.
• 55% of protein powders tested had
measurable levels of BPA, a known endocrine
disruptor.
• Certified organic products averaged twice
as much heavy metals.
“Plant-based protein powders have higher
levels of heavy metals than non-plant-based
protein powders,” said Sean Callan, Ph.D.,
director of operations and quality at Ellipse
Analytics, the third-party analytical chemistry
laboratory that performed the testing. “This
could be due to the locations where the protein
powder manufacturers’ plant ingredients are
sourced having contaminated soil. This is
especially true in the United States where there
may be a higher incidence of heavy metals in
the soil of some regions.”
Testing further revealed that approximately
10% of whey-based protein powders contained
lead levels above health guidelines. However,
none of the egg-based protein powders
contained lead. The study also found that 28

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