Huel Protein Powder Lawsuit Filed Over Lead Levels in Vegan Supplement

Lawsuit comes after a recent Consumer Reports investigation found Huel Black Edition Vegan Protein Powder contains nearly 1,300% of recommended lead levels, which could cause potential side effects.

A class action lawsuit claims that Huel, a manufacturer of dietary supplements, falsely advertises its vegan protein powders and exposes consumers to elevated levels of lead.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Aykut Sarayli and Robert Mastronardi in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on October 16, naming Huel Ltd. as the sole defendant.

The claim comes shortly after new findings raise concerns about heavy metal contamination in several popular protein powders. According to a Consumer Reports article published days before the lawsuit was filed, Huel Black Edition Vegan Protein Powder, along with more than 70% of all protein supplements tested, contains dangerously high lead levels, which could lead to a number of serious adverse health effects.

Dangers of Lead Exposure

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that is known to cause lasting brain damage and other health problems, particularly in children whose bodies and nervous systems are still developing. Since symptoms are not always immediately apparent, exposure can often go unnoticed until significant harm has occurred.

Health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that no amount of lead is safe for children, noting that even low levels can lead to issues such as fatigue, muscle pain, constipation, tremors, trouble focusing and changes in brain structure.

These risks are not limited to protein powders either. In recent years, a number of consumer goods have tested positive for high levels of lead, including packaged applesauce and baby food products.

Several major baby food product recalls have been issued in recent years due to lead contamination concerns, which have sparked a series of toxic baby food lawsuits against companies like Gerber, Beech-Nut and others, alleging that the manufacturers failed to properly test their products or warn consumers about the risks of contamination. 

Each complaint alleges that parents unknowingly fed their children baby food products contaminated with lead and other heavy metals, leading to the development of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

According to the newly filed lawsuit, Huel falsely markets its Black Edition Vegan Protein Powder as a safe, nutritionally complete meal replacement.

Sarayli, of San Jose, California, says he purchased Huel Black Edition Vegan Protein Powder multiple times between July 2023 and October 2024, consuming the product daily or nearly every day. Similarly, Mastronardi, of Ocala, Florida, claims that he regularly bought and used Huel Black Edition on a daily or near-daily basis.

Both men indicate that they relied on Huel’s website claims that the company conducts extensive heavy-metal testing and follows strict food safety and quality controls that meet federal dietary guidelines.However, the plaintiffs argue that Huel’s representations were false, noting that the company’s claims about “food safety and quality controls” and routine heavy metal testing are misleading. 

Independent tests by Consumer Reports found 6.3 micrograms of lead and 9.2 micrograms of cadmium per serving, which exceeds federal and public health limits by more than tenfold, prompting the organization to classify Huel Black Edition as a “product to avoid,” according to the complaint.

Sarayli and Mastronardi claim they would not have purchased the product had they known it contained what they describe as unsafe levels of lead and cadmium, which are known to cause neurological and developmental harm. Both global and U.S. health agencies, including the World Health Organization and the CDC, warn that no amount of lead exposure is safe and that such contamination can cause permanent neurological, reproductive and cardiovascular damage, the lawsuit states.

According to the plaintiffs, Huel failed to warn consumers about the contamination and continued selling the powder at a premium price, despite representing it as a safe and high-quality plant-based product.

“Consumers reasonably expect health supplements like the Product to be free of harmful heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Had consumers including Plaintiffs known that the Product contained heavy metals, they would have paid significantly less — or not purchased the product at all.”

— Aykut Sarayli and Robert Mastronardi v. Huel Ltd.

Sarayli and Mastronardi raise allegations of violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, unjust enrichment, breach of implied warranty, violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

They are seeking class certification for all California and Florida purchasers of the product, restitution, disgorgement, and damages exceeding $5 million, as well as injunctive relief, which includes a ban on deceptive marketing and a corrective advertising campaign.

Baby Food Toxic Metals Lawsuits

The Huel lawsuit adds to a broader wave of litigation targeting toxic metal contamination in consumer products. Similar concerns have driven hundreds of baby food lawsuits nationwide, following a 2021 Congressional report that found products made by Gerber, Beech-Nut, Plum Organics, Hain, Campbell, Walmart and Sprout contained unsafe concentrations of lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury.

These cases are now centralized in a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 3101), known as In re: Baby Food Products Liability Litigation, which is overseen by U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in the Northern District of California. 

As of October 1, approximately 225 lawsuits are currently pending, nearly triple the number from the previous year.

In addition, the Texas Attorney General opened an investigation into Gerber and Plum Organics this past September, citing elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium and mercury in their products.

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