Costco sued over heavy metals in Orgain protein powder

Costco is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging it sold protein powder containing toxic heavy metals without warning consumers. The lawsuit, filed on July 7, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, accuses the warehouse retailer of violating consumer protection laws by marketing Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder as "clean," "high-quality," and nutritious while failing to disclose the presence of lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

The complaint, brought by seven plaintiffs from across the United States, centers on Orgain's Vanilla Bean and Creamy Chocolate Fudge varieties sold at Costco. It alleges independent laboratory testing commissioned by the plaintiffs found heavy metals in the products, with the Vanilla Bean flavor specifically cited for containing lead levels that exceeded California's Proposition 65 limits by more than 600 percent. The lawsuit also references a 2025 Consumer Reports investigation that flagged the same flavor for containing lead at 143 percent of the publication's level of concern, classifying it as acceptable only for occasional consumption.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that Costco, as a major retailer...