California Senator Steve Padilla (Democrat–San Diego) has introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1033, which aims to establish heavy metal testing and disclosure requirements for protein products.

The legislation was inspired by the results of a sampling and testing project published by Consumer Reports (CR) in October 2024, which found lead, cadmium, and inorganic arsenic in protein powders and shakes. Consumer Reports especially raised concerns about the presence of lead, with more than two-thirds of the 23 products tested containing levels that exceeded CR’s daily threshold of concern (0.5 micrograms) in a single serving, and some surpassing it by more than 1,500 percent.

In his reasoning for SB 1033, Sen. Padilla cited CR’s findings, the health harms of exposure to heavy metals, the rapidly expanding protein powder market, and the lack of federal limits for heavy metals in protein supplements. The bill is co-sponsored by CR and the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Specifically, SB 1033 would require manufacturers of protein products to test their products for heavy metals and publicly disclose their findings on their brand websites, and would prohibit the sale of any products that do not comply. If passed as-is, the compliance date for the bill would be January 1, 2028.

SB 1033 will be heard in the Senate in the coming months.