Overview
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an industry‑wide investigation after independent testing raised heavy‑metal concerns, announcing the probe on Monday to review possible violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
- The office cited two studies as its basis: Consumer Reports tested 23 powders and found plant‑based products had about nine times the lead of whey on average, and the Clean Label Project tested 160 products and reported 47% exceeded California Proposition 65 limits in a single serving.
- Paxton said the probe will look at whether manufacturers misrepresented safety or failed to disclose known contamination, but his office has not named any companies or products under investigation.
- Health authorities warn there is no known safe level of lead exposure, and the attorney general highlighted risks to children, pregnant people and older adults as reasons for the inquiry.
- Regulators may use independent test results and Proposition 65 as benchmarks, though Prop 65 is a California state standard rather than a federal contaminant limit, so outcomes will depend on further testing and any legal findings.