Some protein powders and shakes tested by Consumer Reports contained levels of lead, a heavy metal, that experts say could raise the risk of long-term health problems.
Scientists hired by Consumer Reports, an independent non-profit based out of the U.S., tested 23 popular protein products, and found lead levels ranging from zero to 7.7 micrograms per serving — above the stringent limits set by the state of California, but below U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard for females of childbearing age.
There is no safe level of lead for human consumption, though it finds its way into many foods because lead is present in the environment.
Someone please tell me this is a US thing and the product is better regulated in the EU. I need this shit to not starve because I am incapable of planning and making regular meals that don’t consist of noodles with ketchup or cheese on bread because my brain is useless (probably even more useless now after I’ve eaten all that lead yay).
Huel is a company founded in the EU (now brexited), but as a meal replacement, my guess is the formula is the same everywhere.
It sounds like the ingredients come from all over the world, so it’s probably a roll of the dice whether whatever lot you end up with contains material grown in soil with too high of a lead content.
I’ve been trying to find EU regulation and it seems like EU limits are WAY above what CR set. So now I’m confused.
Edit: or maybe not? I’m unclear on what I’m seeing.
It looks like the EU’s limit for supplements is 3 mg/kg.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/915/oj/eng
Consumer reports “level of concern” is ug/day. They tested Huel at 6.3 ug per 90 g serving, or 70 ug/kg (.07 mg/kg).
Basically Huel only hits 2.3% of the EU limits. It looks like the EU regulates “supplements” assuming they are like pills or something where you’d only consume a few grams a day. Compare it to salt, with a limit of 1 mg/kg. Something that you’d actually be expected to eat a lot of, like grain, has a limit of 0.2 mg/kg. Basically, it’s still below the limit there, but getting close.
The US limit for grain is .02 mg/kg, so 10x more strict than the EU. I’m not sure about supplements, though.
Hilariously I stopped reading like 5 lines above that and misunderstood everything, goddammit. Thank you.
I do (possibly foolishly) have a lot of faith in EU regulation in general so now I’m very cautiously optimistic I won’t have to starve. I’ll have to find out more about these limits on supplements and where they come from and who set them based on what and if they even apply to Huel.
Please do not just get your food from a venture backed corporation.
Please.
Alternative is to eat junk that takes two steps at most to make or not eat at all most days.
Rice. Beans. Seasoning.
Throw in a crock pot and forget about it for half the day. Prepare in bulk and refrigerate leftovers to eat throughout the week.
Cheap, filling, not terrible for you, takes like 5 minutes of effort.
What about some rolls and some cold cuts and sliced cheese with some romaine? Takes only a few minutes to make a sandwich. Probably less than you would need to microwave most prepared meals.
Slow cookers can be found at estate sales for very little, usually under $10 equivalent. You can throw your preferred meat, canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned whatever you like in and let it cook overnight and usually end up with something you can freeze, reheat and eat without a big loss in taste quality. That slow cooker does all the work for you while you sleep, you just have to package it however you like.
Know anyone at work or through any other connection who likes to cook? Maybe worth thinking about if you have a skill to trade they lack. Maybe you could work out something where you provide ingredients and they meal prep for you while you provide them with a skill you have that you enjoy.
Don’t eat the lead. Best of luck!
Your suggestions already require a level of planning I’m incapable of on most days. My situation is difficult (and I have only myself to blame) but thank you for trying to help.
I use a strat where I play past me off against future me as present me and through spiteful actions can achieve these things. Maybe a similar strategy can work for you. Let me give an example:
Your disgust with past you motivates you to go to the grocery store. Your pettiness toward future you means you buy ingredients instead of prepped. The future anger this engenders in a present you forced to prepare a sandwich can be fed back into the system to motivate a trip to the grocery… etc.
Never underestimate spite.
Edit: if you find yourself cackling in the produce aisle holding some weirdo hard to prepare growth you have gone too far and should dial it back.