Costco has been named in a lawsuit after the bulk retailer was accused of selling a product that contains heavy metals. The lawsuit was filed on July 7, according to USA Today, and claims that the packaging of Costco’s Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder was misleading.
The plaintiffs in the suit are asking the court to force Costco to update the product’s packaging to reflect the alleged high levels of heavy metals. They are also seeking damages, as well.
These claims are based on third-party testing of the products, including a January 2025 Clean Label Product report and an October 2025 Consumer Report.
Here’s what you need to know.
Costco Being Sued Over Alleged Heavy Metals in Protein Powder
@kgwnewsofficialA class action lawsuit claims Costco sold Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder containing unsafe levels of lead and arsenic.♬ original sound – kgwnewsofficial
According to KGW News, the company is facing a class action lawsuit, which claims that the product has unsafe levels of both lead and arsenic. The suit alleges that the retailer knew about the heavy metals, and the plaintiffs are demanding that Costco update the label to better represent the product’s content.
“The product page contains language touting the product’s ‘power of clean,’ ‘quality ‘ingredients [and] higher standards,’ provides ‘good clean fuel,’ and that it is ‘relentless about quality.’ Nowhere does it disclose that the product contains heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic,” a portion of the lawsuit claims, according to WRAL News.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs went on to claim that the “defendant knew or, at a minimum, should have known that the contaminated products it sells contained detectable levels of heavy metals.” They also alleged that Costco knew that consumers would pay a premium for products that claimed to be “free from harmful contaminants such as heavy metals.”
What Shoppers Need to Know
There was no recall issued for this product as of the time of publication, and no illnesses or injuries have been reported. If you are worried about possible heavy metal exposure, you may want to reach out to your healthcare provider directly to find out if there’s anything you need to be concerned about.
You can also contact Costco’s customer service with questions. However, USA Today said that the retailer hadn’t responded to its request for comment as of July 9, so the store might not be ready to address the lawsuit with an official statement quite yet.