Heavy Metal Index
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A butter block, an unmarked jar of fine pale powder and a glass of milk illustrating whey ingredient context.

Heavy metals in Whey

Lead, cadmium, total arsenic and total mercury in whey: monitoring results, studies, references by form and basis, limits, testing and controls.

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Whey in the HMI library has 68 reported results for lead, cadmium, total arsenic, total mercury, nickel, chromium, aluminium, antimony, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Se, Ba, Li, Mo and Sr from 6 sources.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →4Hassan TM, Elarnaoutti MS · 2025Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsTurkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025Read source →5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source →6European Food Safety Authority · 2012Cadmium dietary exposure in the European populationEFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551Read source →

Whey overview

Whey in the HMI library has 68 reported results for lead, cadmium, total arsenic, total mercury, nickel, chromium, aluminium, antimony, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Se, Ba, Li, Mo and Sr from 6 sources.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →4Hassan TM, Elarnaoutti MS · 2025Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsTurkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025Read source →5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source →6European Food Safety Authority · 2012Cadmium dietary exposure in the European populationEFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551Read source → WHO GEMS/Food submissions reported lead in whey, as sold from 35 results in 2 reporting regions, with subgroup medians from 4.2 to 64.8 µg/kg.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source → For cadmium, GEMS/Food gave subgroup medians below 8 µg/kg, mostly non-detects from 29 results.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

Bavatharani et al. 2026 reported lead at 3,200 µg/kg (mean ± 120 SD) in whey, powder or ground from retail protein product 1 (sample code A), made in India.5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source → Across 2 other studies of ordinary farms and markets, reported cadmium means and medians on an as-sold or fresh-weight basis ranged from 15.8 µg/kg (Karimi et al. 2021) to 190 µg/kg (Bavatharani et al. 2026).3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source →

For a buyer the practical points are the form bought, the basis a result is reported on, where the whey came from and the laboratory’s reporting limit. Testing finds contamination but does not remove it.

What counts as whey

This page covers whey in 2 forms kept separate in every comparison: whey, as sold (60 results) and whey, powder or ground (8 results).1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →4Hassan TM, Elarnaoutti MS · 2025Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsTurkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025Read source →5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source →6European Food Safety Authority · 2012Cadmium dietary exposure in the European populationEFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551Read source →

Results stay on the basis each source reports: as sold or fresh weight, dry weight, or unstated. Dry-weight, as-sold and unstated results are never pooled, and no moisture conversion is applied.

Heavy metal contamination profile of whey

The table holds every extracted whey result: one row for each statistic a source reports for a form, group and metal, 68 rows in all, grouped by metal and form; percentiles, ranges and maxima for the same samples as a mean or median are shown on that row.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →4Hassan TM, Elarnaoutti MS · 2025Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsTurkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025Read source →5Bavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, Gupta J · 2026Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyInternational Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46Read source →6European Food Safety Authority · 2012Cadmium dietary exposure in the European populationEFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551Read source → Monitoring medians are HMI calculations from individual submissions; non-detects remain intervals between zero and the reporting limit and are never read as zero.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

1 row can be rated against an HMI reference for the same form and basis, 0 rows have a direct same-study comparison, and the rest stay unrated with the reason recorded. 2 values from 1 source failed a check against their own source and are shown but not compared.2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →

Comparison methods and scope

Each row is one statistic a source reports for one form of whey, group and metal; percentiles, ranges and maxima reported for the same samples as a mean or median are shown on that row. Different forms and preparation states are kept apart, and dry-weight results never share a reference with as-sold or fresh-weight results. Ratings place a result against an HMI reference built from monitoring results and ordinary-setting medians for the same form and basis. Same-study contrasts compare a contaminated or treated site with its control, targeted with random sampling, a prepared form with the unprocessed one, or one group of a study with the median of its other groups. Held rows failed a check against their own source and are shown but not compared.

About this table
Food formCollection scopeFindingComparisonEvidence
Whey findings from monitoring programmes, total diet studies and every extracted field, market and contaminated-site study, in µg/kg with each source’s form, basis, statistic and censoring retained.
Food formCollection scopeFinding (µg/kg)ComparisonEvidence
12 findings · 4 studies
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2013–2015median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2010–2018median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2004median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2004–2019median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodPAHO2014median.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, as soldKarimi et al. 2021Pegah Dairy Plant, Shahrekord, Iran, 2018-20192018–2019not detected.
Whey, as soldKarimi et al. 2021Pegah Dairy Plant, Shahrekord, Iran, 2018-20192018–2019min.
Whey, as soldKarimi et al. 2021Pegah Dairy Plant, Shahrekord, Iran, 2018-20192018–2019max.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodPAHO2013–2014Dry weightmedian.
Whey, as soldHassan et al. 2025laboratory-made from 8 batches of farm cow milk, cheese makingCollection date unreportedBasis not statedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 1 (sample code A), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 5 (sample code E), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
8 findings · 5 studies · 2 spread figures folded in
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2004–2015median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2005–2018median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2004–2019median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2010median.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportednot detected.
Whey, as soldKarimi et al. 2021Pegah Dairy Plant, Shahrekord, Iran, 2018-20192018–2019mean.Same samples: 5 µg/kg (minimum); 20 µg/kg (maximum)
Whey, as soldEuropean Food Safety Authority 2012all samples (EU Member State submissions)2003–2011Basis not statedmean.
Whey, as soldHassan et al. 2025laboratory-made from 8 batches of farm cow milk, cheese makingCollection date unreportedBasis not statedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 1 (sample code A), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 5 (sample code E), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
6 findings · 2 studies
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2015median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2015–2022median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2010–2016median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2015–2023median.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 1 (sample code A), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 5 (sample code E), made in IndiaCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2004–2015median.
Whey, as soldWHO GEMS/FoodEURO2010–2017median.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 1 (sample code A), made in IndiaCollection date unreportednot detected.
Whey, powder or groundBavatharani et al. 2026retail protein product 5 (sample code E), made in IndiaCollection date unreportednot detected.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
3 findings · 2 studies
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, as soldHassan et al. 2025laboratory-made from 8 batches of farm cow milk, cheese makingCollection date unreportedBasis not statedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
3 findings · 2 studies
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
Whey, as soldHassan et al. 2025laboratory-made from 8 batches of farm cow milk, cheese makingCollection date unreportedBasis not statedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
2 findings · 1 study
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmedian.
Whey, as soldAlmášiová et al. 2024whey, single farm in the Spiš region (heavily disturbed miningCollection date unreportedmean.
Shared dataset methods and interpretation

Source summaries retain their original statistic, material, basis and censoring. Each source drawer identifies methods and overlapping samples. No matched reference or pooled distribution is inferred.

HMI whey Pb reference · Whey, as sold

Reference and scope

HMI whey Pb reference · Whey, as sold. Whey, as sold; As sold, as eaten or fresh weight, µg/kg; no moisture conversion. Distribution of subgroup median concentration values.

Reference (µg/kg)Q1MedianQ3
Primary HMI reference≤3≤3≤16
Alternative weighting≤3≤3≤14.5

18 reference units; 2 sampling families. Counts describe evidence units, not independent studies or certainty.

Contributing familyReference unitsWeight
WHO GEMS/Food1750%
Karimi et al. 2021150%

Methods

HMI pools subgroup medians for whey, as sold on a as sold, as eaten or fresh weight basis: monitoring results summarized as one median per reporting region, sampling type and collection year, total diet composites and printed sample values as single observations, and printed subgroup medians from ordinary farms or markets. Each sampling family has equal total weight. Non-detects stay as zero-to-limit intervals, so quartiles carry lower and upper bounds. Means, ranges and maxima never enter as observations. Other forms, other bases, targeted sampling and results from mining, industrial, wastewater-affected, experimental, fertiliser or manufacturer settings are kept out of this reference.

Inverse weighted empirical CDF; midpoint at exact cumulative-weight boundaries. At least four reference units and a definitely positive Q1–Q3 spread are required. This is a display eligibility rule, not statistical validation.

Limitations

2 sampling families with different designs; none is a probability sample of world supply. Reporting regions and purchase markets are not growing areas. Non-detects with differing limits widen the bounds. A position is descriptive concentration, not a safety or compliance judgment.

Admitted source families

Reference version and interpretation

Frozen evidence selection: 2026-10-22. Method: hmi-pooled-reference-v2.

hmi-pooled-reference-v2:whey-d4ed0e8618a9:4416be152b36

The reference is computed by HMI from admitted evidence, not copied from a study baseline. It describes the evidence currently in this scope; it is not a worldwide or current-lot benchmark. Source, year and region filters do not change it. Different HMI scopes are not one common ranking.

HMI whey Pb reference · Whey, as sold, dry weight

Reference and scope

HMI whey Pb reference · Whey, as sold, dry weight. Whey, as sold; Dry weight, µg/kg; no moisture conversion. Distribution of subgroup median concentration values.

Reference (µg/kg)Q1MedianQ3
Primary HMI reference10.764.8119
Alternative weighting10.764.8119

2 reference units; 1 sampling family. Counts describe evidence units, not independent studies or certainty.

Contributing familyReference unitsWeight
WHO GEMS/Food2100%

Methods

HMI pools subgroup medians for whey, as sold on a dry weight basis: monitoring results summarized as one median per reporting region, sampling type and collection year, total diet composites and printed sample values as single observations, and printed subgroup medians from ordinary farms or markets. Each sampling family has equal total weight. Non-detects stay as zero-to-limit intervals, so quartiles carry lower and upper bounds. Means, ranges and maxima never enter as observations. Other forms, other bases, targeted sampling and results from mining, industrial, wastewater-affected, experimental, fertiliser or manufacturer settings are kept out of this reference.

Inverse weighted empirical CDF; midpoint at exact cumulative-weight boundaries. At least four reference units and a definitely positive Q1–Q3 spread are required. This is a display eligibility rule, not statistical validation.

Limitations

WHO GEMS/Food is the only compatible sampling family for whey, as sold on this basis in the completed whey ledger, so this single-family reference cannot represent other markets. Reporting regions and purchase markets are not growing areas. Non-detects with differing limits widen the bounds. A position is descriptive concentration, not a safety or compliance judgment.

Admitted source families

Reference version and interpretation

Frozen evidence selection: 2026-10-22. Method: hmi-pooled-reference-v2.

hmi-pooled-reference-v2:whey-23e502bc8a70:eec09f9376be

The reference is computed by HMI from admitted evidence, not copied from a study baseline. It describes the evidence currently in this scope; it is not a worldwide or current-lot benchmark. Source, year and region filters do not change it. Different HMI scopes are not one common ranking.

HMI whey Cd reference · Whey, as sold

Reference and scope

HMI whey Cd reference · Whey, as sold. Whey, as sold; As sold, as eaten or fresh weight, µg/kg; no moisture conversion. Distribution of subgroup median concentration values.

Reference (µg/kg)Q1MedianQ3
Primary HMI reference≤1.17≤57–9 (bounded)
Alternative weighting≤1≤58–9 (bounded)

16 reference units; 1 sampling family. Counts describe evidence units, not independent studies or certainty.

Contributing familyReference unitsWeight
WHO GEMS/Food16100%

Methods

HMI pools subgroup medians for whey, as sold on a as sold, as eaten or fresh weight basis: monitoring results summarized as one median per reporting region, sampling type and collection year, total diet composites and printed sample values as single observations, and printed subgroup medians from ordinary farms or markets. Each sampling family has equal total weight. Non-detects stay as zero-to-limit intervals, so quartiles carry lower and upper bounds. Means, ranges and maxima never enter as observations. Other forms, other bases, targeted sampling and results from mining, industrial, wastewater-affected, experimental, fertiliser or manufacturer settings are kept out of this reference.

Inverse weighted empirical CDF; midpoint at exact cumulative-weight boundaries. At least four reference units and a definitely positive Q1–Q3 spread are required. This is a display eligibility rule, not statistical validation.

Limitations

WHO GEMS/Food is the only compatible sampling family for whey, as sold on this basis in the completed whey ledger, so this single-family reference cannot represent other markets. Reporting regions and purchase markets are not growing areas. Non-detects with differing limits widen the bounds. A position is descriptive concentration, not a safety or compliance judgment.

Admitted source families

Reference version and interpretation

Frozen evidence selection: 2026-10-22. Method: hmi-pooled-reference-v2.

hmi-pooled-reference-v2:whey-2e2577bb4a82:70ef0e96eaa7

The reference is computed by HMI from admitted evidence, not copied from a study baseline. It describes the evidence currently in this scope; it is not a worldwide or current-lot benchmark. Source, year and region filters do not change it. Different HMI scopes are not one common ranking.

HMI whey tAs reference · Whey, as sold

Reference and scope

HMI whey tAs reference · Whey, as sold. Whey, as sold; As sold, as eaten or fresh weight, µg/kg; no moisture conversion. Distribution of subgroup median concentration values.

Reference (µg/kg)Q1MedianQ3
Primary HMI reference≤40≤40≤40
Alternative weighting≤40≤40≤40

17 reference units; 1 sampling family. Counts describe evidence units, not independent studies or certainty.

Contributing familyReference unitsWeight
WHO GEMS/Food17100%

Methods

HMI pools subgroup medians for whey, as sold on a as sold, as eaten or fresh weight basis: monitoring results summarized as one median per reporting region, sampling type and collection year, total diet composites and printed sample values as single observations, and printed subgroup medians from ordinary farms or markets. Each sampling family has equal total weight. Non-detects stay as zero-to-limit intervals, so quartiles carry lower and upper bounds. Means, ranges and maxima never enter as observations. Other forms, other bases, targeted sampling and results from mining, industrial, wastewater-affected, experimental, fertiliser or manufacturer settings are kept out of this reference.

Inverse weighted empirical CDF; midpoint at exact cumulative-weight boundaries. At least four reference units and a definitely positive Q1–Q3 spread are required. This is a display eligibility rule, not statistical validation.

Limitations

WHO GEMS/Food is the only compatible sampling family for whey, as sold on this basis in the completed whey ledger, so this single-family reference cannot represent other markets. Reporting regions and purchase markets are not growing areas. Non-detects with differing limits widen the bounds. A position is descriptive concentration, not a safety or compliance judgment.

Admitted source families

Reference version and interpretation

Frozen evidence selection: 2026-10-22. Method: hmi-pooled-reference-v2.

hmi-pooled-reference-v2:whey-6ba161156c64:a05e1dffcc2a

The reference is computed by HMI from admitted evidence, not copied from a study baseline. It describes the evidence currently in this scope; it is not a worldwide or current-lot benchmark. Source, year and region filters do not change it. Different HMI scopes are not one common ranking.

HMI whey tHg reference · Whey, as sold

Reference and scope

HMI whey tHg reference · Whey, as sold. Whey, as sold; As sold, as eaten or fresh weight, µg/kg; no moisture conversion. Distribution of subgroup median concentration values.

Reference (µg/kg)Q1MedianQ3
Primary HMI reference≤0.35≤1.850.0875–4.5 (bounded)
Alternative weighting≤0.3≤1.350.175–2.5 (bounded)

12 reference units; 1 sampling family. Counts describe evidence units, not independent studies or certainty.

Contributing familyReference unitsWeight
WHO GEMS/Food12100%

Methods

HMI pools subgroup medians for whey, as sold on a as sold, as eaten or fresh weight basis: monitoring results summarized as one median per reporting region, sampling type and collection year, total diet composites and printed sample values as single observations, and printed subgroup medians from ordinary farms or markets. Each sampling family has equal total weight. Non-detects stay as zero-to-limit intervals, so quartiles carry lower and upper bounds. Means, ranges and maxima never enter as observations. Other forms, other bases, targeted sampling and results from mining, industrial, wastewater-affected, experimental, fertiliser or manufacturer settings are kept out of this reference.

Inverse weighted empirical CDF; midpoint at exact cumulative-weight boundaries. At least four reference units and a definitely positive Q1–Q3 spread are required. This is a display eligibility rule, not statistical validation.

Limitations

WHO GEMS/Food is the only compatible sampling family for whey, as sold on this basis in the completed whey ledger, so this single-family reference cannot represent other markets. Reporting regions and purchase markets are not growing areas. Non-detects with differing limits widen the bounds. A position is descriptive concentration, not a safety or compliance judgment.

Admitted source families

Reference version and interpretation

Frozen evidence selection: 2026-10-22. Method: hmi-pooled-reference-v2.

hmi-pooled-reference-v2:whey-82fcb18e146b:6c7697823c82

The reference is computed by HMI from admitted evidence, not copied from a study baseline. It describes the evidence currently in this scope; it is not a worldwide or current-lot benchmark. Source, year and region filters do not change it. Different HMI scopes are not one common ranking.

1 dataset

How metals reach whey

No study in the library compared whey from contaminated and ordinary settings, so the routes by which metals reach it are not measured here.

Which forms and regions measured lower

The HMI reference for lead in whey, as sold pools 18 subgroup units from 2 sampling families, with a median of below 3 µg/kg and a middle half spanning below 3 (lower quartile) and below 16 µg/kg (upper quartile).1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source → For cadmium in whey, as sold, the reference median was below 5 µg/kg, with a middle half from below 1.17 to between 7 and 9 µg/kg across 16 units.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source → For total arsenic in whey, as sold, the reference median was below 40 µg/kg, with a middle half from below 40 to below 40 µg/kg across 17 units.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

Among GEMS/Food reporting regions, whey, as sold had the lowest lead subgroup median in PAHO (4.2 µg/kg) and the highest in PAHO (64.8 µg/kg); reporting regions are markets, not growing areas.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

Processing, cooking and preparation

No study in the library measured the same whey before and after washing, peeling, drying or cooking for metals, so no processing effect can be stated. Heat does not destroy metals; cooking or drying changes a concentration by moving water or metal, not by removing the element.

Mitigation for whey

No control for metals in whey was measured in the library; lot testing against the applicable limit remains the verifiable step.

No study in this library has yet measured a way to lower heavy metals in whey; the results above show the levels measured, and lot testing against the applicable limit remains the verifiable check.

Trade-offs and limits of controls

Metals do not move together, so a lot that passes a lead limit says little about cadmium, arsenic or nickel unless those are tested as well.

Testing whey for metals

Results depend on the method and its reporting limit. Reporting limits for lead ranged from 1 µg/kg (WHO GEMS/Food) to 40 µg/kg (WHO GEMS/Food), so a non-detect from a less sensitive method says much less.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source → Reporting limits for cadmium ranged from 0.05 µg/kg (Almášiová et al. 2024) to 10 µg/kg (WHO GEMS/Food), so a non-detect from a less sensitive method says much less.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source → Reporting limits for total arsenic ranged from 40 µg/kg (WHO GEMS/Food) to 200 µg/kg (WHO GEMS/Food), so a non-detect from a less sensitive method says much less.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

A useful lot result names the form, the basis and a quantification limit well below the limit that applies.

Buying and verifying whey

No maximum level for metals in whey was verified from primary text for this page; buyers should confirm the limit that applies in the destination market.

Exposure from whey

No source in the library converted whey concentrations into a verified estimate of intake for a defined population. Concentrations describe the food, not individual risk.

Evidence review and remaining gaps

Every source record that names whey was decided on its content: 6 occurrence extracted, 6 records in all. The occurrence table renders every extracted result; held values remain visible with their reason.

References identify the sources used in these answers. The Sources index preserves additional discovery links; inclusion there does not mean a source has been reviewed for this assessment. Corrections, completed searches, new direct evidence and changes in requirements should reopen the relevant answer.

Whey FAQs

What heavy metals are found in whey?

The library reports lead, cadmium, total arsenic, total mercury, nickel, chromium, aluminium, antimony, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Se, Ba, Li, Mo and Sr in whey, most often lead, cadmium and total arsenic.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →2Almášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, Jančo I · 2024Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionToxics 12 (2024) 467Read source →3Karimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, Rahimi E · 2021Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANJournal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62Read source →4Hassan TM, Elarnaoutti MS · 2025Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsTurkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025Read source → WHO GEMS/Food submissions reported lead in whey, as sold from 35 results in 2 reporting regions, with subgroup medians from 4.2 to 64.8 µg/kg.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

Which regions report the lowest levels in whey?

Among GEMS/Food reporting regions, whey, as sold had the lowest lead subgroup median in PAHO (4.2 µg/kg) and the highest in PAHO (64.8 µg/kg); reporting regions are markets, not growing areas.1World Health Organization · 2026GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsGEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment ProgrammeRead source →

References

Works cited on this page, in citation-number order. See Sources for this page’s source inventory. Each title links to a source record with bibliographic details, reported findings, and document provenance.

  1. GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exportsWorld Health Organization · GEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme · 2026 · extranet.who.intDataset
  2. Toxic Elements in Sheep Milk, Whey, and Cheese from the Environmentally Burdened Area in Eastern Slovakia and Health Risk Assessment with Different Scenarios of Their ConsumptionAlmášiová S, Toman R, Pšenková M, Tančin V, and Jančo I · Toxics 12 (2024) 467 · 2024 · doi.org/10.3390/toxics12070467Peer-reviewed
  3. Evaluation of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metal in Raw Materials and Infant Formula Produced in Pegah Dairy Plants, IRANKarimi Dehcheshmeh B, Shakerian A, and Rahimi E · Journal of Chemical Health Risks (2021) 11(1), 55-62 · 2021 · doi.org/10.22034/jchr.2020.1907145.1166Peer-reviewed
  4. Heavy Metals Transfer from Milk into Milk ProductsHassan TM and Elarnaoutti MS · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 13(4): 900-906, 2025 · 2025 · doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i4.900-906.7292Peer-reviewed
  5. Labeling Transparency and Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercial Protein Powders: A Case StudyBavatharani V, Shaw A, Sunil A, and Gupta J · International Journal of Nutritions 2026; 3(2): 37-46 · 2026 · doi.org/10.37591/ijn.v03i02.242178Peer-reviewed
  6. Cadmium dietary exposure in the European populationEuropean Food Safety Authority · EFSA Journal 2012;10(1):2551 · 2012 · doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2551Government

Sources

Browse Whey Sources for sources cited on this page and additional discovery candidates. The searchable index distinguishes verified citation use from discovery relationships whose relevance has not been established.

Update history

22 October 2026: Rebuilt from every whey record in the library: 6 occurrence sources, references by form and basis, same-study contrasts.

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