Protein supplement maker Naked Whey Inc. is facing a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company of knowingly selling protein powders tainted with toxic heavy metals, including lead — while falsely advertising them as clean, safe, and independently tested products.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Sevien Caballero in California federal court, alleges that Naked Whey’s marketing misled health-conscious consumers into believing its protein supplements were “pure” and “premium.” The case erupted after a Consumer Reports investigation revealed alarming levels of lead and other metals in several brands — including Naked Whey — which landed on its “Products to Avoid” list.
Allegations of “Nothing to Hide” Marketing Gone Wrong
According to the complaint, Naked Whey promotes its products as vegan-friendly, independently tested, and made with “nothing to hide” ingredients that support wellness and athletic performance. But Caballero says the company concealed a toxic truth: testing by Consumer Reports found 7.7 micrograms of lead in a single serving of Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Naked Mass Gainer — more than 15 times the limit recommended by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which caps daily exposure at 0.5 micrograms.
Caballero told the court that lead exposure has no safe threshold, citing the World Health Organization’s warning that even minimal contact can damage the brain, nervous system, and other organs. “It’s a slow, invisible poison — one consumers should never find in products claiming to be pure and safe,” the suit contends.
