Costco faces class action over alleged heavy metals in Orgain protein supplements

Costco is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on July 7 in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington by law firm Hagens Berman. The suit alleges that Costco sold Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder contaminated with toxic heavy metals—lead, cadmium, and arsenic—without warning consumers, despite marketing the product as high-quality, nutritious, and clean nutrition. According to Hagens Berman, testing by The Clean Label Project, Consumer Reports, and independent laboratories detected the heavy metals. Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman, said, "Many consumers who buy and use protein powder do so routinely as part of a continuing focus on their fitness and health." He added, "These same health-conscious consumers have unknowingly ingested alarming levels of toxic heavy metals – lead, cadmium and arsenic – again and again, trusting that Costco quality assurance would not allow something like this to happen." The claims have not been proven in court, and Costco has not publicly responded to the allegations.

(Source：The News International)