Here is Cytosports respone:
Update: Information on the Consumer Reports Article on Protein Shakes
TESTING CONFIRMS Muscle Milk SAFETY
June 3, 2010
An article appearing in the July 2010 Consumer Reports publication regarding protein drinks brought into question the advisability of consuming protein drinks instead of ingesting regular food sources of protein because of the possibility of ingesting unsafe levels of certain heavy metals. Trace levels of these elements are naturally found in the environment and in many foods & beverages we consume daily; such as shellfish, potatoes, rice, leafy greens, avocados, honey, raisins, cottage cheese, red wine, and many more.
The article presents the test results of fifteen sampled protein products, three of which are Muscle Milk products. The test results concluded that three servings a day of Muscle Milk powdered Chocolate or Vanilla Crème (210 grams), almost a half a pound of powder, were shown to exceed the proposed maximum daily limits of cadmium and lead.
This Muscle Milk powdered 3-serving test weight amount (210 grams) was 84% more product than the average 3-serving test weight of the eleven other companies’ products tested. In essence, Consumer Reports used almost twice as much Muscle Milk powder than the average weight of the other 11 companies’ powdered brands tested.
It should also be noted that skewing the Consumer Reports test results even further is the fact that Consumer Reports inexplicably chose to apply the purposed limits of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) permitted daily exposure (PDE) limits calculated using a body weight of 50 kg or 110 lbs. The Reference Man is typically 70 kg or 154 lbs. The average US adult male is 195 lbs and the average adult female is 165 lbs (McDowell MA et al. Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2003-2006. USDHHS, CDC, and Nat’l Ctr. for Health Statistics (10/22/08)). That weight is still short of the average weight of our target, intended, heavy workout user for which Muscle Milk powder is clearly marketed in the health food stores and gym markets.
Importantly, the tests underscored the fact that Muscle Milk Chocolate liquid shakes, by far and away our company’s most popular consumer form of Muscle Milk, did not exceed the proposed maximum levels of any heavy metals tested, even when used three times per day. Muscle Milk liquid protein shakes, or RTDs (ready-to-drinks), are the most popular and fastest growing protein products in the entire US enhanced beverage market. Muscle Milk bottles and tetra-paks (juice packs) are available in grocery, drug, convenience/gas, and mass market locations nationwide.
Independent, certified third-party testing reconfirms that Muscle Milk liquid, ready-to-drink products, when used responsibly up to two times per day as part of a balanced diet, do not exceed the levels of these heavy metals as proposed by the USP, and discussed in the Consumer Reports article.
Active, health conscious consumers increasingly find Muscle Milk ready-to-drink shakes a quick, easy, convenient and cost-effective way to get the added protein they’re looking for to support their active lifestyles, while reducing the unwanted carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol that often accompany proteins from common food sources.
The Consumer Reports article suggests three other potential food sources with 25g of protein (3 glasses of Whole Milk, 4 oz Chicken Breast, 3 Scrambled Eggs). The article failed to mention that those three sources also contain the following undesired nutrients:
FDA’s publication Total Diet Study Statistics on Element Results (December 11, 2007), which analyzes 200 foods found in grocery stores four times per year, showed the following:
Food Item vs. Lead Content per Serving (mcg= 1 millionth of a gram):
As an industry leader in quality nutritional products, CytoSport maintains the highest commitment to compliance with all current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”) for food supplements. CytoSport's customers can be confident that our products contain only the highest quality ingredients and are made in the safest manner possible.
FOR MORE INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THE CONSUMER REPORTS ARTICLE, PLEASE READ BELOW
To Our CytoSport Muscle Milk Customers,
A recent Consumer Reports story raised questions about the trace levels of cadmium and lead found in popular protein shakes including CytoSport Muscle Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Créme powdered shakes. We want to assure you that there is no safety risk from the responsible use of CytoSport Muscle Milk protein shakes.
Consumer Reports testing was based on consumption of three shakes per day and the testing applied proposed U.S Pharmacopeia standards - not current, accepted or approved guidelines. Our recommended up to two servings of Muscle Milk daily, as stated on the label, is well below the current accepted standards and below the proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia limits.
Trace levels of these elements are naturally found in the environment and in many foods we eat daily (such as shellfish, potatoes, rice, and leafy greens). We conduct extensive testing to ensure the quality of our products. Each time the shakes have been tested for elements, such as cadmium and lead, the results are below the limit of all current, well-established safety standards.
You can continue to use Muscle Milk shakes with confidence. To calculate your estimated daily protein needs, please use the protein calculator by clicking on the image below (pop-up window). If you have questions about how much protein is appropriate for your needs, you should talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist.
FOR MORE INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THE CONSUMER REPORTS ARTICLE, PLEASE READ BELOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2010
CONTACT:
Bobbie White
707-747-3355
STATEMENT BY GREG PICKETT
FOUNDER CytoSport™, INC.
Benicia, CA – Greg Pickett, Founder of CytoSport, Inc. today issued the following statement:
CytoSport is a family-run business built on a culture of creating products that are completely safe, effective and trusted by our loyal customers across the country. CytoSport’s devoted following of consumers includes high school, college and pro-athletes, coaches and everyday active people. It is our company mission to do everything possible to ensure that our products are superior in quality, reliability, authenticity and safety.
We work to meet our very high standards in several ways. Our wholly owned and operated manufacturing and packaging facility is state-of-the-art. Additionally, our products are rigorously tested by both us and independent third party agencies including NSF International to ensure their safety and efficacy. NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is a world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. NSF International is the recognized nutritional supplement certifying body for the athletic market, including the NFL, Major League Baseball, PGA, LPGA and others.
A recent Consumer Reports article raised questions concerning potential exposure to contaminants in a variety of protein drinks, including two CytoSport products, Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème, if they are consumed frequently (3 or more per day). The article does not identify the lab that tested these products nor disclosed its test methodology. In the coming days and weeks, we will seek to carefully scrutinize the study in order to ensure our products’ quality. However, we do note the following, which raise serious questions about this particular lab’s tests:
1. Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème have been independently tested and certified to meet NSF/ANSI Standard 173- Dietary Supplement – the recognized industry standard for dietary facilities.
2. The samples of Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème (the two CytoSport products referenced in the article) were analyzed by NSF International and found to pass NSF/ANSI 173 standards for contaminants based on NSF’s validated test methods. Of the 15 products mentioned in the Consumer Reports article, Muscle Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Crème powders are the only products third party tested and certified by NSF International.
3. NSF International reported that their own test results “do not reflect the concentrations stated in the Consumer Reports article. NSF International uses validated test methods and is confident in the test results and its certifications.” [For the complete statement by the NSF, The Public Health and Safety Company, regarding Consumer Reports article on protein drinks please see
www.nsf.org/business/newsroom...ein_Drinks.pdfFor more information on NSF International and their Dietary Supplement testing certification programs, please CytoSport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/CytoSportstatement1.pdf" target="_blank">click here
ON response:
How Safe Is Your Protein?
ON's Response to July 2010 Consumer Reports Article, "Alert: Protein Drinks"
A recently released Consumer Reports article in their July 2010 issue titled, "Health Alert: Protein Drinks" included tests conducted on 15 different protein powders for heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) in comparison to the U.S. Pharmacopeia's proposed limits for heavy metals in dietary supplement products. In these tests, 3 of the 15 products tested above the U.S. Pharmacopeia's proposed limits for dietary supplements when measured at the 3 serving size, with the assumptions consumers are taking multiple servings/day.
Two Optimum Nutrition products were evaluated in the article, both of which tested well below the proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia limits for heavy metals in dietary supplements, even at the 3 serving level. These 2 ON supplements were Platinum Hydrowhey (Velocity Vanilla flavor) and Gold Standard 100% Whey (Extreme Milk Chocolate flavor). Since Optimum Nutrition's products tested well below the proposed limits, no specific safety issues were raised about either product in the article. Consumers can be assured our products are safe and manufactured to the highest standards, which the results reflect.
Optimum Nutrition products are always made to the highest standards of quality and safety, and have been for nearly 25 years as detailed below:
* All of our protein products meet U.S. Pharmacopeia's proposed standards for dietary supplements.
* Before a single machine is turned on we carefully select vendors via an approval program who supply ON with premium raw materials. All vendors must provide a Certificate of Analysis for each raw material as a continued measure of quality. These certificates are then verified through random in-house and independent laboratory testing.
* ON's finished products are tested by third-party laboratories to ensure their safety and stability as well as their compliance with label claims.
* Quality Assurance professionals make routine checks on all storage, blending, and production areas and conduct final inspections on all lot codes.
* ON has been awarded certification by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International), a world leader in standards development, product certification, and risk management for public health and safety.
* ON has consistently received a 'Superior' rating from the esteemed American Institute of Baking (AIB) upon the inspection agency's annual cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliance audits of the company's manufacturing facilities. This top rating denotes ON's unsurpassed commitment to food safety.
By comparison, the following average amounts of the metal lead may be found naturally in food, all of which are considered safe, but significantly above the measures of 3 servings of Optimum Nutrition products in the Consumer Reports tests. The U.S. Pharmacopeia proposed limit for lead in dietary supplements was 10mcg (10mcg= 10millionths of a gram):
FDA's publication Total Diet Study Statistics on Element Results (December 11, 2007), which analyzes 200 foods found in grocery stores four times per year, showed the following:
Optimum Nutrition products also tested well below the The U.S. Pharmacopeia proposed limit for arsenic in dietary supplements of 15mcg (15mcg= 15millionths of a gram). Most Importantly, many common foods, including those regularly eaten for protein contained more Arsenic than the amount found in our test results, highlighting the safety of our products.
As the industry leader in quality nutritional products for nearly 25 years, Optimum Nutrition maintains the highest commitment to compliance with all Food & Drug Administration requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices ("cGMPs") for food supplements. Optimum's customers can be confident that our products contain only the best quality ingredients and are made in the safest manner possible.