Third-party tested protein powder

Third party tested protein powder should mean a named lab, dated results, and numbers you can convert to micrograms per scoop. "Tested for purity" on a tub is not that. This page is the buying guide for people searching for low heavy metal protein powder and published COAs, with Cantein's Eurofins results and clear limits on what one sample can prove.

Disclosure: I run Cantein. Our hemp protein sample was tested by Eurofins in September 2025. The numbers below are that sample, not a promise for every bag.

Named lab results • Lead and cadmium per scoop • Prop 65 benchmarks • Ask for the PDF

What third-party testing should include

Lab name (for example Eurofins, not "our partners").
Date and lot or sample ID.
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury with units (ppb or ppm) and detection limits.
Serving size so you can convert to µg per scoop.

Sport certifications (NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport) screen for banned substances. They are not the same as a heavy-metals COA. USDA Organic covers how crops are grown. It does not set soil-metal limits. Full walkthrough: lead in protein powder.

Benchmarks shoppers actually use

Benchmark	Lead	Cadmium	Notes
California Prop 65 safe harbor	0.5µg/day	4.1µg/day	Strict line many buyers use for a single scoop
FDA interim reference (women of childbearing age)	8.8µg/day	—	Whole diet, not one product
NSF dietary supplement (as reported by CR)	10µg/day	4.1µg/day	Sport/supplement program limit

Cantein's published sample (Eurofins, September 2025)

Metal	Result	Per 35g scoop	vs Prop 65
Lead	6.28ppb	0.22µg	44% of 0.5µg
Cadmium	14.0ppb	0.49µg	12% of 4.1µg
Arsenic (total)	29.7ppb	1.04µg	See note below
Mercury	<5ppb	<0.18µg	Below detection

Arsenic was measured as total arsenic. Health limits are usually for inorganic arsenic; the comparison assumes a worst case. Vanilla and chocolate were not tested as finished products. Metals vary by harvest, so one sample is not every lot. Email info@cantein.com for the report PDF. More detail on lab testing.

How this compares with public brand statements

Nutiva has stated roughly 0.6–0.8µg lead per serving for its hemp protein (brand page statement).
Consumer Reports (Oct 2025) found more than two-thirds of 23 powders above CR's daily lead concern in one serving; plant products tested were pea-based. No hemp was in that set.
Manitoba Harvest, Anthony's, Navitas: ask for a current COA. Anthony's carries a Prop 65 warning on some hemp protein listings.

Different labs and years are not a ranking. They are a reason to demand numbers.

Best protein powder without heavy metals? The honest frame

No powder is metal-free. Soil has metals. The useful search is for powders with published per-serving results under the benchmarks you care about, plus a short label so you are not guessing about additives. For clean-label checks beyond metals, use clean protein powder.

The short version

Third party tested hemp protein powder should show lab, date, four metals, and µg per scoop. Cantein's September 2025 Eurofins sample sat under Prop 65 for lead and cadmium on a 35g unflavored scoop. Ask every brand for the same format before you buy.

I run Cantein. Not medical advice. Pregnant people and children should be extra careful with concentrated plant powders; favor food where you can.