CytoSport Response (6-2-2010)

To Our CytoSport Muscle Milk Customers,

A recent Consumer Reports story raised questions about the trace levels of cadmium and lead found in popular protein shakes including CytoSport Muscle Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Créme powdered shakes. We want to assure you that there is no safety risk from the responsible use of CytoSport Muscle Milk protein shakes.

Consumer Reports testing was based on consumption of three shakes per day and the testing applied proposed U.S Pharmacopeia standards - not current, accepted or approved guidelines. Our recommended up to two servings of Muscle Milk daily, as stated on the label, is well below the current accepted standards and below the proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia limits.

Trace levels of these elements are naturally found in the environment and in many foods we eat daily (such as shellfish, potatoes, rice, and leafy greens). We conduct extensive testing to ensure the quality of our products. Each time the shakes have been tested for elements, such as cadmium and lead, the results are below the limit of all current, well-established safety standards.

You can continue to use Muscle Milk shakes with confidence. To calculate your estimated daily protein needs, please use the protein calculator by clicking here (pop-up window). If you have questions about how much protein is appropriate for your needs, you should talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist.

STATEMENT BY GREG PICKETT
FOUNDER CYTOSPORT™, INC.

Benicia, CA – Greg Pickett, Founder of CytoSport, Inc. today issued the following statement:

CytoSport is a family-run business built on a culture of creating products that are completely safe, effective and trusted by our loyal customers across the country. CytoSport’s devoted following of consumers includes high school, college and pro-athletes, coaches and everyday active people. It is our company mission to do everything possible to ensure that our products are superior in quality, reliability, authenticity and safety.

We work to meet our very high standards in several ways. Our wholly owned and operated manufacturing and packaging facility is state-of-the-art. Additionally, our products are rigorously tested by both us and independent third party agencies including NSF International to ensure their safety and efficacy. NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is a world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. NSF International is the recognized nutritional supplement certifying body for the athletic market, including the NFL, Major League Baseball, PGA, LPGA and others.

A recent Consumer Reports article raised questions concerning potential exposure to contaminants in a variety of protein drinks, including two CytoSport products, Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème, if they are consumed frequently (3 or more per day). The article does not identify the lab that tested these products nor disclosed its test methodology. In the coming days and weeks, we will seek to carefully scrutinize the study in order to ensure our products’ quality. However, we do note the following, which raise serious questions about this particular lab’s tests:

1. Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème have been independently tested and certified to meet NSF/ANSI Standard 173- Dietary Supplement – the recognized industry standard for dietary facilities.

2. The samples of Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème (the two CytoSport products referenced in the article) were analyzed by NSF International and found to pass NSF/ANSI 173 standards for contaminants based on NSF’s validated test methods. Of the 15 products mentioned in the Consumer Reports article, Muscle Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Crème powders are the only products third party tested and certified by NSF International.

3. NSF International reported that their own test results “do not reflect the concentrations stated in the Consumer Reports article. NSF International uses validated test methods and is confident in the test results and its certifications.” [For the complete statement by the NSF, The Public Health and Safety Company, regarding Consumer Reports article on protein drinks please see www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/pdf/NSF_Statement_Consumer_Reports_Protein_Drinks.pdf

For more information on NSF International and their Dietary Supplement testing certification programs, please visit www.nsf.org/business/dietary_supplements/index.asp?program=DietarySups

4. Finally, it must not be overlooked that the substances tested by Consumer Reports are naturally occurring in the environment, and it would be uncommon, if not impossible, not to detect the trace amounts reportedly found in any agricultural product, such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

CytoSport stands firmly behind the quality and safety of our products. We are proud to have met the rigorous, credible testing methods of NSF International – developer of the only American national standard for dietary supplements and an accredited, independent, leader in standards development – because of our products’ safety and quality. We will continue to make every effort to assure that our products are superior in quality, reliability, authenticity and safety.

To view a printable PDF of this press release, click here.

Optimum Nutrition Response (updated 6-4-2010)

A recently released Consumer Reports® article in their July 2010 issue titled, “Health Alert:  Protein Drinks” included tests conducted on 15 different protein powders for heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) in comparison to the U.S. Pharmacopeia’s proposed limits for heavy metals in dietary supplement products.  In these tests, 3 of the 15 products tested above the U.S. Pharmacopeia’s proposed limits for dietary supplements when measured at the 3 serving size, with the assumptions consumers are taking multiple servings/day. 
Two Optimum Nutrition products were evaluated in the article, both of which tested well below the proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia limits for heavy metals in dietary supplements, even at the 3 serving level.  These 2 ON supplements were Platinum Hydro Whey® (Velocity Vanilla flavor) and Gold Standard 100% Whey™ (Extreme Milk Chocolate flavor).  Since Optimum Nutrition’s products tested well below the proposed limits, no specific safety issues were raised about either product in the article.  Consumers can be assured our products are safe and manufactured to the highest standards, which the results reflect.
Optimum Nutrition products are always made to the highest standards of quality and safety, and have been for nearly 25 years as detailed below:

• All of our protein products meet U.S. Pharmacopeia’s proposed standards for dietary supplements.
• Before a single machine is turned on we carefully select vendors via an approval program who supply ON with premium raw materials.  All vendors must provide a Certificate of Analysis for each raw material as a continued measure of quality. These certificates are then verified through random in-house and independent laboratory testing.
• ON’s finished products are tested by third-party laboratories to ensure their safety and stability as well as their compliance with label claims.
• Quality Assurance professionals make routine checks on all storage, blending, and production areas and conduct final inspections on all lot codes.
• ON has been awarded certification by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International), a world leader in standards development, product certification, and risk management for public health and safety. 
• ON has consistently received a ‘Superior’ rating from the esteemed American Institute of Baking (AIB) upon the inspection agency’s annual cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliance audits of the company’s manufacturing facilities.  This top rating denotes ON’s unsurpassed commitment to food safety. 
• By comparison, the following average amounts of the metal lead may be found naturally in food, all of which are considered safe, but significantly above the measures of 3 servings of Optimum Nutrition products in the Consumer Reports tests.  The U.S. Pharmacopeia proposed limit for lead in dietary supplements was 10mcg (10mcg= 10millionths of a gram):

FDA’s publication Total Diet Study Statistics on Element Results (December 11, 2007), which analyzes 200 foods found in grocery stores four times per year, showed the following:

As the industry leader in quality nutritional products for nearly 25 years, Optimum Nutrition maintains the highest commitment to compliance with all Food & Drug Administration requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”) for food supplements.  Optimum’s customers can be confident that our products contain only the best quality ingredients and are made in the safest manner possible. 

EAS Response (6-1-2010)

To our EAS Myoplex Original customers:

A recent Consumer Reports story (July 2010 issue) raised questions about the trace levels of cadmium and arsenic found in popular protein shakes including our Myoplex® Original Rich Dark Chocolate shakes. We want to assure you that there is no safety risk from the trace levels of cadmium and arsenic in Myoplex protein shakes.

Consumer Reports testing was based on consumption of three shakes per day and the testing applied proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia standards -- not current, accepted or approved guidelines. Our recommended up to two servings of Myoplex daily, as stated on the label, is well below the current accepted standards and below the proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia limits.

Trace levels of these elements are naturally found in the environment and in many foods we eat daily (such as shellfish, potatoes, rice, and leafy greens). We conduct extensive testing to ensure the quality of our products. Each time the shakes have been tested for elements, such as arsenic and cadmium, the results are below the limit of all current, well-established safety standards.

You can continue to use Myoplex shakes with confidence. If you have questions about how much protein is appropriate for your needs, you should talk to your doctor or other health care professional.

If you have any other questions, please contact our Consumer Relations team at 1-800-297-9776.

BSN Response (6-4-2010)

Dear Valued Customer,

A recent article in Consumer Reports (July 2010) reported finding trace amounts of certain heavy metals (for example, cadmium and lead) in popular protein drink products. We want to assure our customers that BSN's protein shakes do not pose a safety risk. The two BSN products tested by Consumer Reports -- BSN Core Series Lean Desert Protein Shake Chocolate Fudge Pudding and BSN Core Series Syntha-6 Chocolate Milk Shake -- tested below the safety limits proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia. In contrast, three of the fifteen protein drinks tested by Consumer Reports were found to exceed the USP guidelines in some respect. Consumer Reports' test assumed three servings of a protein drink per day: in fact, the Lean Desert and Syntha-6 products meet the USP's guidelines even at four servings per day. It should also be noted that heavy metals are naturally occurring elements found in soil and are frequently found in common conventional foods such as fish, potatoes, rice, and green leafy vegetables, as well as in drinking water.

Our customers can be confident that BSN products are safe and are produced under strict manufacturing standards.

Iovate Response (6-7-2010)

Dear valued business partner,

Iovate is pleased with the Consumer Reports article as it contains testing results for our products showing they are within the limits in dietary supplements proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the limits allowed under federal regulations.  The article also points out, of course, that the same heavy metals Consumer Reports tested for can also be found in a wide range of food products.

Sincerely,

Iovate Health Sciences Inc.
Regulatory Affairs Division