Overview
- A proposed class-action filed July 7 in federal court in Washington says seven customers bought Orgain Organic Plant‑Based Protein Powders at Costco and found the Vanilla Bean and Creamy Chocolate Fudge flavors contained lead, cadmium and arsenic.
- The complaint cites prior testing by the nonprofit Clean Label Project and Consumer Reports plus independent lab results commissioned by plaintiffs, including an allegation that one test showed lead above California Proposition 65 limits by more than 600%.
- Plaintiffs accuse Costco of misleading marketing, pointing to product pages that call the powder “good clean fuel” and asking the court for punitive damages and an order forcing disclosure of heavy metals on packaging or advertising.
- Orgain says its products meet applicable safety standards and are safe to consume and there have been no recalls, and Costco’s product listings note that manufacturers supply item details.
- The case arrives as state scrutiny of protein powders increases — including a Texas attorney general probe and proposed California testing rules — and could prompt wider testing, disclosure rules and industry changes because federal limits for heavy metals in powders are limited.