Knowledge
Are your products tested for heavy metals?
Yes, Hammer Nutrition products are tested for heavy metals and meet or better established safety levels. The manufacturer of Hammer Nutrition supplements requires that all potential raw material suppliers provide a Certificate of Independent Laboratory Analysis—covering no less than 15 specific items—with EVERY shipment of raw material. One of those specifics is this:
- Statement of, and References to, Industry Accepted Methods of Analytical Processes to establish that Raw Material meets FDA standards for microbial content, heavy metals, solvents, and pesticides, and results of such analysis. (Must be detailed and include the Name, Contact Person, and Phone Number of the Independent Laboratory that conducted this Testing).
BOTTOM LINE: Hammer Nutrition supplements are tested for heavy metals, with all raw materials in them meeting or bettering FDA standards.
As far as Hammer Nutrition fuels are concerned, they too are tested for heavy metals. Recently (May 2010), independent testing has shown that a number of whey protein or whey protein–containing products (mainly the mass–produced ones) contain amounts of the heavy metals arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium that are at or exceed acceptable limits, when three servings (considered the average amount) are consumed daily.
We want to alleviate your concerns and let you know that our supplier for the whey protein isolate used in Hammer Whey and Recoverite has certification showing that it meets the general Codex monograph specifications for heavy metals in whey products.
Here is a recent certificate of analysis of heavy metals for the whey protein isolate used in Hammer Nutrition fuels:
| Heavy metal | Result | Testing Method |
| Arsenic | <0.01 ppm* | SM3113D |
| Cadmium | <0.01 ppm* | SM3113B |
| Lead | <0.01 ppm* | SM3113B |
| Mercury | <0.05 ppm* | SM3112D |
* ppm = Parts Per Million
Now, take a look at the levels the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has determined to be safe:- Arsenic – 15 micrograms (mcg) per day
- Cadmium – 5 mcg per day
- Lead – 10 mcg per day
- Mercury – 15 mcg per day
To compare the values of ppm to mcg, some conversion information is needed:
- 1 microgram = 0.000001 gram
- 1 microgram/gram = 0.000001/1 = 1/1000000 = 1 ppm
Now let’s revisit the test results of the whey protein isolates used in Hammer Whey and Recoverite. Using this information, here are the amounts of heavy metals in one serving of each product:
Hammer Whey – 18 grams of protein per serving
| Heavy metal | Amount |
| Arsenic | <0.18 mcg/serving |
| Cadmium | <0.18 mcg/serving |
| Lead | <0.18 mcg/serving |
| Mercury | <0.90 mcg/serving |
Recoverite – 10 grams of protein per two-scoop serving
| Heavy metal | Amount |
| Arsenic | <0.10 mcg/serving |
| Cadmium | <0.10 mcg/serving |
| Lead | <0.10 mcg/serving |
| Mercury | <0.50 mcg/serving |
As you can see, these are almost non-existent amounts; all are less—and the overwhelming majority substantially so—than one mere (1) microgram, and even more so than the 5 – 15 micrograms that are considered USP-safe daily levels (the amount dependent on the heavy metal).
Just as an example, to reach the USP maximum daily safe level for arsenic and mercury (both 15 mcg/day), you’d have to consume 150 x 2-scoop servings of Recoverite in one day. That is obviously a tremendous amount, much more than one would ever conceive of consuming. That’s important to keep in mind, given that the products that tested at or above USP safe daily levels did so in only three servings.
CONCLUSIONS:
1) Unlike many of the mass–produced protein powders available, the whey protein isolate that is used in Hammer Whey and Recoverite is virtually free of heavy metals.
2) When using a dairy–based protein supplement, we recommend avoiding:
- Casein protein – see the article, Casein – Quality protein choice? for more information.
- Whey protein concentrate – Whey protein concentrate contains anywhere from 70% to 80% actual protein (and, sadly, sometimes even less), the remainder being fat and lactose.
Instead, for the highest quality whey protein available use whey protein isolate, which is 97–98+% protein. Simply put, whey protein isolate—which is all we use in Hammer Whey and Recoverite—is a purer protein.
3) When you use any Hammer Nutrition supplement or fuel—including our whey protein–containing fuels, Hammer Whey or Recoverite—you can rest assured that they are of the highest quality available.
