Health Watchdog To Bring Legal Action Against Soylent Over Lead, Cadmium Levels

An anonymous reader writes: We've previously discussed Soylent, the self-proclaimed "meal replacement." The product has not been without controversy, and now it's likely to see some more: As You Sow, a non-profit foundation dedicated to corporate responsibility, plans to bring legal action against Soylent for failing to provide sufficient warning about the amount of lead and cadmium in it. They allege that a serving of Soylent contains 12 to 25 times the concentration of lead at which point consumers in the state of California must be warned. The concentration of cadmium, they say, is four times the current maximum. Soylent has acknowledged the results of heavy metal tests but says the levels present in Soylent are not toxic. As You Sow maintains that Soylent's marketing focus on replacing food suggests chronic exposure, which is more of an issue than an occasional indulgence.

Comments

Re:As a chemist, I have something to say.

[Smidge204]

Except, unlike table salt which is water soluble and excess is quickly eliminated from your body, heavy metals tend to accumulate. Small, repeated doses over a long period of time can accumulate toxic levels in your body tissues.

You're right that exposure is unavoidable, but they set exposure limits for a reason.
=Smidge=

Re:But this is California, so of course it's stupi

[Smidge204]

California requires warnings about metal concentrations on virutally ALL FOOD

Good. I don't see why that makes the warning useless; the effects are cumulative and people need constant reminders that they are being exposed. It keeps manufacturers and third party groups on the ball for monitoring levels to catch cases where exposure is unreasonably high.
=Smidge=