That protein shake in your kitchen cabinet is suddenly part of a statewide legal story. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that his office has launched an industry-wide investigation into protein powder manufacturers after independent testing raised alarms about heavy metals in some popular powders and ready-to-drink shakes. The effort puts fresh heat on a booming supplement market where small daily scoops can quietly concentrate contaminants.
In a press release from the Office of the Attorney General, Paxton's team said it will investigate whether companies misrepresented the safety or contents of their products and whether they failed to disclose known contamination under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The statement cited "independent reports" by testing groups as the spark for the probe. As noted by FOX 7 Austin, the attorney general's office did not name any specific companies under scrutiny.
What testing found
Two consumer-testing projects are at the center of the investigation. According to Consumer Reports, researchers tested 23 powders and shakes and found that plant-based products contained on average nine times more lead than dairy-based (whey) powders. Three of the tested items exceeded the publication's level of concern for cadmium and inorganic arsenic.
A larger analysis by the Clean Label Project examined roughly 160 protein powders and reported that about 47 percent exceeded California's Proposition 65 thresholds for at least one heavy metal in a single serving.
Health concerns
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes on its website that there is no known safe level of lead exposure, and that children, pregnant people and older adults face particular risk. Chronic exposure has been linked to neurological, kidney and cardiovascular problems, prompting regulators and public-health advocates to treat even low daily doses as a serious concern rather than a background nuisance.
What consumers can do
Consumer Reports and the Clean Label Project both recommend opting for products that publish independent heavy-metal test results and avoiding large daily servings of a single supplement. Consumer Reports notes that many powders are unlikely to cause immediate harm when used occasionally, but warns that repeated high-volume use can drive up cumulative exposure over time. The Clean Label Project also calls out a subset of products it found with non-detectable levels and urges manufacturers to post laboratory reports publicly.
Legal angle
In its statement, the attorney general's office said the probe will focus on potential violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, including whether companies "falsely marketed or misrepresented" the safety of their products. The announcement does not outline a specific schedule for subpoenas or enforcement actions, framing the effort instead as a broad consumer-protection push that could set the stage for tougher oversight.
Paxton's office and the consumer-testing groups say they plan to share updates as the investigation unfolds. For now, Texans are left to watch whether this legal shakeup ends with formal enforcement, quiet settlements or a wider retooling of how the protein powder industry does business.
