What Does "Clean Protein" Actually Mean?
While there is no official, government-regulated definition of a "clean" food product, the term generally refers to items with transparent, simple, and minimal ingredient lists. For protein powder, this often means:
- No Artificial Additives: Free from artificial sweeteners (like sucralose or aspartame), artificial flavors, and artificial colors or dyes.
- Minimal and Recognizable Ingredients: An ingredient list should be short and contain only items consumers can easily recognize and pronounce, such as whey protein concentrate, natural flavors, and natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.
- Ethical Sourcing: The protein source itself is from animals raised naturally, without hormones or antibiotics, or from plants grown in healthy soil.
- Third-Party Testing: The finished product has been tested by an independent, unbiased laboratory for contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and other industrial byproducts.
Because standards can vary between brands, relying on credible third-party certifications is crucial for verifying a supplement's cleanliness claim.
Levels Protein: The Brand's Promise of Cleanliness
Levels Nutrition explicitly markets its grass-fed protein as a clean product, using the tagline "Nothing Fake. Ever.". The company’s marketing points consistently align with the clean label ethos:
- Ingredient Purity: Levels whey is crafted from hormone-free, grass-fed dairy. Their flavored versions use natural ingredients like cold-pressed cacao and vanilla extract, sweetened with stevia and monk fruit extract, not artificial alternatives.
- No Unnecessary Fillers: The products contain no fillers, binders, or proprietary blends with hidden ingredients.
- Sourcing and Processing: The whey protein is sourced from USA-based dairy and is cold-processed and microfiltered to maintain the integrity of the protein and its amino acids.
Levels and Third-Party Testing for Purity
One of the most important aspects of Levels' claim to cleanliness is its independent third-party testing. The brand has been awarded the highest certification by the Clean Label Project (CLP), known as the Purity Award.
The CLP is a non-profit organization that tests products for over 130 industrial and environmental contaminants, including heavy metals (like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury), plasticizers (like BPA and BPS), and other chemicals. This third-party verification provides a level of consumer confidence that a company's self-proclaimed "clean" status cannot achieve alone.
Grass-Fed vs. Conventional Whey vs. Plant-Based: A Purity Comparison
When evaluating protein purity, the source is a major factor. The following table provides a clear comparison of different protein types based on current research.
| Feature | Levels Grass-Fed Whey | Conventional Whey | Plant-Based Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Source | Milk from grass-fed, hormone-free cows | Milk from cows often raised on grain diets and possibly treated with hormones | Plant sources like pea, rice, or hemp |
| Heavy Metal Risk | Very low, verified via CLP testing | Typically low, but not always third-party verified | Higher potential risk due to soil contamination, especially in organic varieties |
| Artificial Ingredients | None used | Often contains artificial sweeteners, flavors, and fillers | Varies greatly; some brands use natural ingredients, others use artificial |
| Third-Party Testing | Yes, CLP Purity Award verified | Depends on brand; often unverified by third parties | Varies; CLP testing showed significant contamination in many brands |
| Nutritional Profile | Richer in omega-3s and CLA (before processing), more vitamins | Standard protein profile, lower in some beneficial fats | Varies widely based on plant blend; can be lower in certain essential amino acids |
Why Whey Protein is Less Prone to Contamination
Research from entities like the Clean Label Project and Consumer Reports indicates that animal-based proteins, specifically whey, tend to have a lower burden of heavy metal contamination than plant-based alternatives. This is largely because the filtering processes and the animal's digestive system can help mitigate some toxins, while plants can absorb heavy metals directly from the soil. This finding highlights why Levels' choice of animal-based whey is a strong starting point for a clean product.
The Importance of the Purity Award
While grass-fed sourcing is a good indicator of quality, it does not guarantee the final product is free of contaminants. The Clean Label Project found that some organic plant-based proteins actually contained higher levels of heavy metals. This makes Levels' Purity Award crucial, as it confirms that the finished product has been tested and meets high standards for safety, regardless of the potential for environmental contaminants. The brand's commitment to independent verification offers consumers a higher level of trust. Interested parties can look up specific product test data on the Clean Label Project's website.
Conclusion: Is Levels Grass-Fed Protein Clean?
Based on a holistic evaluation of ingredients, sourcing, and third-party testing, Levels grass-fed protein can be considered a "clean" supplement. The company adheres to the core principles of clean labeling by using a minimal number of recognizable, high-quality ingredients, sourced from grass-fed, hormone-free dairy. Most importantly, its independent certification with the Clean Label Project Purity Award provides transparent, unbiased evidence that the finished product meets strict standards for purity and is free from common contaminants like heavy metals and plasticizers.
For consumers prioritizing ingredient transparency and product safety, Levels' transparent formulation and independent testing make it a trustworthy option. The brand's commitment to quality sets it apart in a crowded market where many companies make unsubstantiated claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "grass-fed" mean for protein powder?
"Grass-fed" means the cows that produced the milk used to make the whey protein primarily grazed on pasture and ate a natural grass diet, rather than being fed grains, soy, or other byproducts.
How does Levels ensure its protein is free of heavy metals?
Levels ensures its protein is low in heavy metals through third-party testing by the Clean Label Project, which screens for a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals like lead and cadmium.
Does Levels protein contain artificial sweeteners?
No, Levels protein does not contain artificial sweeteners. It is naturally sweetened with stevia and monk fruit extract.
Is the unflavored Levels protein cleaner than the flavored versions?
Both unflavored and flavored versions of Levels protein are considered clean, with the flavored options using natural ingredients like cold-pressed cacao. However, some studies have shown flavored powders, particularly chocolate, can have higher contaminant levels generally, so the third-party testing is crucial for ensuring purity.
Are there hormones in Levels grass-fed whey?
Levels states that its whey is crafted from hormone-free dairy. The cows are not treated with artificial growth hormones or antibiotics.
What is the Clean Label Project's Purity Award?
The Clean Label Project's Purity Award is a certification given to products that have been independently tested and found to contain minimal levels of contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers.
Is Levels protein better than organic protein powders?
While "organic" indicates how a product was farmed, it doesn't guarantee purity from contaminants in the final product. Levels' independent third-party testing goes further by verifying the cleanliness of the finished supplement, an advantage over some untested organic powders.
