Heavy Metals in Your Protein Powder: Why Transparency and Testing Matter

You work hard to nourish your body, and protein powder is likely a key part of that routine. But have you ever stopped to consider what else might be in your scoop?

As awareness grows around environmental contaminants in foods, like heavy metals, we believe you deserve more than marketing claims. At LØUCO, transparency is our standard. We rigorously test our products and share the results so you can trust what you’re putting into your body every day.

What Are Heavy Metals and How Do They Get Into Food?

Heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are naturally occurring elements in the soil and water where plants grow. Even organic ingredients can contain trace amounts, not because of anything harmful added, but simply due to the environment in which they are grown.

While trace levels are common in all organic and plant-based foods, consistent testing and responsible sourcing are essential to keep them as low as reasonably achievable.

Not All Powders Are Created Equal

Several studies, including those by non-profits like the Clean Label Project and regulatory bodies, have shown wide variability in protein powder quality, particularly in the plant-based category.

Products using chocolate flavours, botanicals, or organic plant sources often show higher levels of naturally occurring heavy metals, depending on how and where ingredients are grown.

That’s why ingredient sourcing, lab testing, and finished product validation matter so much, and why we take them seriously.

LØUCO Passes EU Standards With Significant Margin

The European Commission sets maximum limits for heavy metals in food supplements to protect public health. These thresholds are used throughout the UK and EU and represent the legal and scientific benchmark for food safety:

*No official EU limit yet for arsenic in food supplements, though it is routinely monitored. LØUCO levels remain extremely low. This lab testing does not record to greater than 2 decimal places or below 0.01 as this is negligible. 

Our blends fall well below all defined limits, by over 90%, confirming the safety and integrity of our blends.

*These are recent test results from our first batch, since every batch and test can vary.

What About Everyday Foods? Context Matters.

It’s worth noting that trace levels of heavy metals aren’t unique to supplements, they’re a natural part of many healthy, everyday plant-based foods.

To put things into perspective, the U.S. FDA Total Diet Study regularly tests heavy metal levels in everyday groceries. These values reflect naturally occurring levels from soil, water, and the environment.

Here’s how a few familiar foods compare:

Note: ppb = parts per billion (micrograms per billion micrograms of food). These are average concentrations found naturally in foods. 1,000 ppb = 1 mg/kg.

Even nutrient-rich choices like spinach and sweet potato can carry more lead or cadmium than a serving of protein powder, simply because of how they grow. The takeaway? Trace exposure is naturally occurring, even from wholefoods. What matters is keeping it low, safe, and monitored.

Why We Test And Keep Improving

Our commitment doesn’t stop at compliance. Every batch of Nourish Blend and Perform Blend is tested by an independent, UKAS-accredited laboratory, and we continually review our sourcing to reduce exposure to naturally occurring contaminants even further.

Whether it’s choosing low-soil uptake crops, working with more traceable supply chains, or conducting regular testing, our goal is simple: to deliver the cleanest, most trustworthy product we can.

Your Health Deserves More Than Guesswork

In a market where many brands still don’t share their test results, we go further.

• Independent third-party testing
• Meets and exceeds UK/EU safety standards
• Transparent Certificates of Analysis available
• Ongoing sourcing improvements

You can view the test results here:

• Heavy Metals Test - Nourish Blend
• Heavy Metals Test - Perform Blend

LØUCO Means Trust You Can Measure

We make products to nourish you safely, responsibly, and transparently. While trace levels of minerals exist in all plant-based foods, our results speak for themselves.

With LØUCO, you can feel confident in your daily scoop, and everything behind it.

Written by: Rachel Prince | Co-Founder