A group of consumers has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corporation, alleging it sells and markets Orgain Organic Protein Powder without disclosing that the product contains elevated heavy metals. According to the complaints summarized by multiple outlets, seven consumers bring the case in federal court in Washington state. The plaintiffs contend that Costco’s advertising and marketing—describing the powder as high quality, “clean,” and nutritious—misleads buyers and violates consumer protection and false advertising laws. The allegations focus on levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead, which the plaintiffs claim are “significant” or otherwise harmful and are not warned to consumers. One outlet also notes that protein powders are not reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the same way as certain other food or drug products, arguing that consumers rely on retailers not to mislead them. The lawsuits seek to represent a broader group of purchasers who bought the product before any disclosures, and the filings call for remedies under state consumer laws.