Safety Over Everything: What Protein Supplement Users Are Really Thinking

CLEANPROTEINLIST.COM · ORIGINAL RESEARCH · 2026

Safety Over Everything:
What Protein Supplement Users Are Really Thinking

Two independent consumer instruments reveal a protein supplement market where safety has displaced price,
performance, and brand loyalty as the dominant purchase concern.

474
Total poll submissions

~350
Unique poll respondents

96
Quiz completions

Jan 23 - Feb 19, 2026
Collection window

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 19, 2026 research@cleanproteinlist.com
87.5% named safety as primary concern
~350 unique poll respondents
96 quiz completions

LONG BEACH, CA - CleanProteinList.com today released findings from two independent consumer research
instruments collected between January 23 and February 19, 2026. The research - a brand interest poll and a
nine-question behavioral quiz - captured data from an estimated 350+ unique respondents and 96 quiz
completions drawn from visitors actively seeking protein supplement safety information.

The convergent finding across both instruments: safety has become the dominant purchase concern for
protein supplement consumers - ahead of price, brand loyalty, taste, and performance. And most consumers
are acting on that concern without the information they need to do so effectively.

KEY FINDINGS
1. Safety Dominates All Other Purchase Concerns
87.5% of quiz respondents named product safety as their primary concern when choosing a protein supplement -
dwarfing "ready to switch brands" (6.2%), "find the cleanest option" (5.2%), and "experiencing symptoms" (1.0%).
The finding held across all use cases: health, weight loss, athletic performance, and muscle building.
Safety / clean label 87.5%
Ready to switch 6.2%
Find cleanest option 5.2%
Experiencing symptoms 1.0%
Source: Protein Safety Quiz · n=96

2. The Contamination Awareness Gap
Only 16.7% of quiz respondents were fully informed about heavy metal contamination risks in protein supplements
- while 84.4% use these products daily or often. The largest single group (41.7%) had no new concerns, and
29.2% had "heard something" but lacked complete information.
41.7% 29.2% 16.7% 12.5%
Not aware (41.7%) "Heard something" (29.2%) Fully aware (16.7%) Skipped (12.5%)
Source: Protein Safety Quiz · n=96

3. The Awareness Delta: Partial Knowledge Drives Action
A cross-tabulation of awareness level against price engagement reveals that partially aware consumers - those
who had "heard something" about contamination - engaged with purchase-intent questions at 61%,
approximately 60% higher than fully aware (38%) or unaware (32%) consumers. Subgroup sizes are small; the
engagement rate finding is directional.

KEY INSIGHT
Consumers mid-discovery are maximally open to guidance. The information gap is not just a public health problem - it is a purchase funnel. The moment a consumer learns enough to be concerned but not enough to act, they become the most commercially active segment in the market.
Source: Protein Safety Quiz · n=96 · Cross-tabulation

4. Orgain Leads Safety Searches; Market Deeply Fragmented
The brand interest poll captured which brands visitors were actively researching for safety information. Orgain led
at 39 unique respondents - nearly 2× second-place Premier Protein (25). Below the top two, 10+ brands tied with
4 responses each. In the quiz, 53.1% of respondents reported using a brand outside the major pre-listed options,
with more than 40 distinct write-in brands named.
Source: Brand Interest Poll · n≈350 unique respondents

5. Price Is Secondary to Safety - Not an Obstacle
61.5% of quiz respondents skipped an optional question about acceptable per-serving price for verified-safe
protein. Among the 37 who engaged, 74% selected $1.50 or more per serving - consistent with current
market-rate pricing for mainstream brands. The data suggests safety is treated as a baseline requirement rather
than a premium feature.
Source: Protein Safety Quiz · n=96

METHODOLOGY
Brand Interest Poll Protein Safety Quiz
Type Open-ended submission form
9-question behavioral quiz
Raw submissions 474 (form) 96 (quiz)
Unique respondents ~350 (est., after dedup) 96
Deduplication 5-min session window N/A
Collection period Jan 23 - Feb 19, 2026 Jan 23 - Feb 19, 2026
Incentive None None

Limitations: Self-selected visitors to CleanProteinList.com; skews toward safety-motivated consumers. Poll unique count is an estimate. Cross-tabulation subgroups are small; findings are directional. Data current as of February 19, 2026; collection ongoing.

About CleanProteinList.com
Independent consumer resource tracking heavy metal
contamination, third-party testing results, and safety data for
protein supplements. No advertising accepted from supplement brands. Not affiliated with any manufacturer.

Research contact:
research@cleanproteinlist.com
Full report:
https://cleanproteinlist.com/research/
protein-safety-consumer-survey-2026/
Data available to journalists on request.

Clean Protein List
(online) https://cleanproteinlist.com
Ray Rothwell, Founder/Researcher
2401 E 5th St, Unit 7
Long Beach, CA 90814
research@cleanproteinlist.com; hello@cleanproteinlist.com

About CleanProteinList.com
Independent consumer resource tracking heavy metal
contamination, third-party testing results, and safety data for
protein supplements. No advertising accepted from supplement brands. Not affiliated with any manufacturer.

This release was published on openPR.