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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.

10 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Lead in Soylent? That explains a bit. by dfenstrate · · Score: 5, Funny

    There was an article about the founder's cockamamie personal habits, such as ordering new clothes from China constantly (and never washing anything) as well as other eccentric behavior.
    Lead poisoning might explain it.

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    Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
    1. Re:Lead in Soylent? That explains a bit. by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny
      1. Well at least we'd know they eat their own dogfood and

      2. The warning should be Charlton Heston saying "Soylent is lead and cadmium! IT'S LEAD AND CADMIUM!"

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      I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  2. Re:As a chemist, I have something to say. by Smidge204 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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=

  3. why not eat dog kibble? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not eat dog kibble? I mean that is what this stuff is, "human" dog kibble.

    Good luck on your bringing your date over to your flat for dinner as well. Especially when she asks you what is for dinner and you bust out your soylent. That is when your date laughs at you, goes across the road to the bar and finds a man that you know, can actually cook a meal.

    There is no reason to eat this garbage, learn how to prepare a meal for yourself. I know your mother never let you near the stove until you were 25 or something, but now is the time to learn how to use a kitchen knife as well as vi and stop over processed poisons.

  4. Re:As a chemist, I have something to say. by Jamu · · Score: 5, Funny

    nobody expects toxic heavy metal! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and density...density and surprise.... Our two weapons are density and surprise...and ruthless toxicity.... Our three weapons are density, surprise, and ruthless toxicity...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our four...no... Amongst our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as density, surprise.... I'll come in again.

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    Who ordered that?
  5. Re: Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only because those people ate soylent. Which was made from other people who ate soylent. Yup, it's soylent all the way down.

  6. Re:But this is California, so of course it's stupi by Smidge204 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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=

  7. Re:But this is California, so of course it's stupi by smallfries · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People do not respond to constant reminders - they blank them out as irrelevant background noise. As such they are then more useless than appropriate warnings. As an example: there are no foods in the UK that are not labeled "may contain traces of nuts".

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  8. Re:Huh by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    I never knew people were made of lead and cadmium.

    People are really high on the food chain. Similar to swordfish and sharks, humans tend to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals.

    The FDA recommends that pregnant women avoid eating people at all, and most others should limit themselves to one or two servings per week.

  9. Re:Huh by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

    People are really high on the food chain. Similar to swordfish and sharks, humans tend to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals.

    No wonder people are so dense most of the time.

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