Protein powders & shakes
Protein powders and meal shakes tested for heavy metals, with every ingredient and amount on the label.
How we rank protein powders & shakes
- Ingredients 35%
- Independent testing 35%
- Sourcing 10%
- Trust 10%
- Value 10%
Why, and what each one means
Lead is the main risk in protein powder: Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) found more than its 0.5 µg daily level of concern in about 70% of 23 products tested in 2025, and plant powders averaged nine times the lead of dairy ones. So we weight ingredients and independent testing most, 35% each, and prefer plain, unflavored whey with lead measured per serving by someone the maker does not pay. A certification alone does not show low lead. See our whey guide and how to tell if a supplement is pure.
- Ingredients 35%
- As few as possible, ideally one: unflavored, with no gums, fillers, added amino acids or anything artificial.
- Independent testing 35%
- Lead, cadmium and arsenic per serving from a lab the maker does not pay where possible, published and low. A certification alone does not mean low lead.
- Sourcing 10%
- Grass-fed or organic claims backed by a certification or a named farm.
- Trust 10%
- Highest when the maker names everything, answers questions, and has no recalls, warning letters, Prop 65 notices or lawsuits over safety or labeling. Points come off for unresolved problems and for paid promoters it does not disclose.
- Value 10%
- Price per 25 g of protein against the others here that pass.
Each product scores every one from 1 to 5, and its rating is the weighted average. We list only products rated 3 or above that break none of our rules.
We avoid
- Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin) and artificial flavors.
- “Amino spiking”: added glycine, taurine or other cheap amino acids that inflate the protein figure.
- Proprietary blends of greens, mushrooms or “superfoods” with no amounts.
- Plant proteins with no heavy-metal results. Lead turns up more often in plant protein.
- A California Prop 65 lead warning on the label or product page.
Read the research
Know one that fits? Suggest a product
9 products · best rated first
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PuoriPuori PW1 Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
One ingredient: whey protein concentrate. Per-batch reports from an outside lab found no detectable lead, cadmium, arsenic or mercury in both unflavored batches we read. Puori pays for the program. Premium price. -
PuoriPuori CP1 Pure Collagen Peptides (unflavored, 30 servings)
One ingredient, hydrolyzed grass-fed bovine collagen. Puori posts 23 batch reports: lead was not detected in 22 and was 0.18 µg in one, cadmium and mercury never. Puori pays for the lab. About $1.30 a serving. Clean Label Project certificate DSP0007-2018B-01 lists CP1 Pure Collagen Peptides (UPC 815667021066) as CLP Certified and Pesticide Free -
Transparent LabsTransparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate (Unflavored)
Two ingredients: whey isolate and a pinch of sunflower lecithin. NSF-listed, with lot reports posted by the maker (lead 0.23 µg a scoop in the one we read). No independent lead figure is published for this whey; the maker pays for the lab. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored, listing id 1756600) · Informed Choice (a Transparent Labs “Whey Protein Isolate” on its October 2026 list) -
Simply Tera’sSimply Tera’s Organic Whey Protein (Plain, Unsweetened)
Organic whey protein concentrate and organic sunflower lecithin. A crowd-funded lab test by Lead Safe Mama found no detectable lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic in one lot. Independent, and the priciest powder per gram of protein here. -
MomentousMomentous Whey Protein Isolate (Unflavored)
An unflavored grass-fed whey isolate listed by NSF, with a certificate of analysis for every lot online. Lead was under 0.05 µg a scoop in both lots we read. The most expensive powder here, and the reports are paid for by Momentous. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored, listing id 1518123) -
Heart & SoilHeart & Soil Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
One ingredient, listed by NSF Certified for Sport. Its page shows California visitors a PFAS warning copied from a settlement over its liver capsules, and no heavy-metal figures are posted. We cannot tell if it applies to the whey. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored, listing id 1721676) -
LevelsLevels Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
A two-ingredient whey concentrate whose UPC is on a Clean Label Project Purity Award certificate, which covers heavy metals. CLP shows a pass, not figures, and Levels pays for the program. Not on NSF’s or Informed’s lists. Clean Label Project Purity Award (certificate SPP0042-2025A-07) -
MomentousMomentous Collagen Peptides (unflavored, 30 servings)
Three ingredients: bovine collagen peptides, a branded collagen hydrolysate and vitamin C, nothing flavored or sweetened. NSF lists it, but no outside lab has published lead figures, and it costs about $3.05 per 25 g of protein. NSF Certified for Sport (listing 1258469, Momentous Collagen Peptides, unflavored, 507 g, lots “All”) -
Raw Organic WheyRaw Grass Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
One ingredient and the lowest price per gram of protein here. “Raw” is a brand name: the maker says the milk is flash-pasteurized. No certifier lists it, and its lab reports are only by email, so we have no lead figure.