Nature Made Prenatal Vitamin Lawsuit and Garden of Life Lead Protein Lawsuit

Lang v. Pharmavite LLC, No. 3:25-cv-00933, was filed on April 18, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and assigned to Judge Andrew G. Schopler. Two plaintiffs sued Pharmavite, the maker of Nature Made, on behalf of people who bought Nature Made prenatal vitamins, including Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA Softgels.

The complaint relied on a PlasticList report published December 27, 2024. It alleged the softgels contained six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, DEP, DMP, DIBP, and DCHP), the phthalate substitute DEHT, and bisphenol A. Phthalates are plastic softeners that the complaint described as endocrine disruptors, and pregnancy is a period when that concern is most acute.

The plaintiffs said this contradicted front-label claims that the product "supports the development of baby's brain, eyes & nervous system," as well as the USP Verified logo and "clinically proven absorption" statements. They sought refunds and damages for buyers, not compensation for injuries. Pharmavite denied the allegations.

What prenatal buyers should know about the science

Softgel capsules are often made with gelatin and can pick up plastic chemicals during manufacturing. The PlasticList testing is independent research, not an FDA finding, and the lawsuit did not claim any baby was harmed. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before sale, so label claims are largely policed through lawsuits like this one.

The complaint also pointed to the back label, which stated the softgels contain "No Synthetic FD&C Dyes" and are "Gluten Free," and argued that the overall message was a product carefully made to be safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies. It said discovery might show that other Nature Made prenatal products belonged in the case. The PlasticList report it relied on was published December 27, 2024 and updated December 31, 2024.

For buyers, the practical takeaway is that the claims were about labels, not about proven harm. Nobody in the case alleged a child was injured, and the court never decided whether the testing was accurate.

Pharmavite moved to dismiss in July 2025. On September 25, 2025, Judge Schopler granted the motion in part and denied it in part, meaning at least some claims survived. Pharmavite answered the complaint on January 6, 2026.

The court then held an early neutral evaluation, a court-run settlement session, on February 23, 2026, and on February 27, 2026 set a settlement disposition conference. Dismissal papers were filed on April 1, 2026, and the court entered an order the next day.

That sequence usually means the named plaintiffs resolved their own claims privately. The public docket shows no motion for preliminary approval of a class settlement, so no class notice, claim form, or payout exists for Nature Made buyers. Because no class was ever certified, other buyers' rights were not released. See what happens when a class action ends without a class win.

An early neutral evaluation is a confidential meeting in the Southern District of California, run by a magistrate judge, where the parties and their lawyers discuss the strengths of the case and whether it can be resolved. It usually happens soon after the defendant answers. When the court follows it by setting a settlement disposition conference, it generally signals that the parties reported a deal of some kind and the court wants the paperwork finished. Here, the paperwork was dismissal filings, not a class settlement for court approval, which is required under Rule 23(e) before any class-wide deal can bind absent class members.

On October 14, 2025, Consumer Reports published tests of 23 protein powders and shakes. CR found that more than two-thirds contained more lead in one serving than its experts consider safe to consume in a day, and Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein (vanilla) measured 564 percent of CR's level of concern per serving. CR advised limiting that product to about once a week.

A month later, on November 19, 2025, DeHerrera v. Garden of Life LLC, No. 5:25-cv-03118, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and assigned to Judge John F. Walter. The plaintiff sought to represent California buyers of Garden of Life Organic Plant-Based Protein products, claiming the company's "clean" and "certified" marketing hid lead levels. The claims were brought under California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law, plus implied warranty and unjust enrichment.

Garden of Life moved to dismiss the amended complaint. The court granted the motion on May 26, 2026, and entered judgment for Garden of Life on June 2, 2026, dismissing the case with prejudice. The plaintiff took nothing. Unless the ruling is appealed and reversed, that case is over.

The Consumer Reports project was its first protein test in 15 years, and CR said the average lead level was higher than in its earlier round, with fewer products free of detectable lead. The highest result was Huel Black Edition at about 1,290 percent of CR's daily level of concern per serving. Plant-based powders generally had more lead than dairy-based ones. Garden of Life was one of two powders CR placed between 400 and 600 percent.

The Garden of Life suit was not the only protein powder case to follow. In July 2026, buyers sued Costco over Orgain protein powder sold in its warehouses, as covered on our Costco lawsuit page.

Because neither case certified a class, buyers are not bound by the outcome in the way class members are bound by a settlement. In theory another buyer could file a new case, but the Garden of Life ruling makes a similar California claim harder. You also probably would not qualify for anything if you have no record of buying the product.

If you are pregnant, nursing, or buying for your family, the lawsuits raise a fair question: how do you judge a supplement when testing results conflict? A few steps help without relying on court outcomes.

1. Identify the exact product. The Nature Made case named Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA Softgels. The Garden of Life test result was for Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein in vanilla. Other flavors, sizes, or product lines may test differently.
2. Check the lot and date. Contaminant levels can vary from batch to batch, and a test of one lot does not prove every lot has the same levels.
3. Look at how often you use it. Consumer Reports framed its advice by frequency, suggesting some powders be limited to about once a week. Daily use over months matters more than a single serving.
4. Ask about alternatives. Your prenatal care provider or pharmacist can suggest products with independent testing, and can tell you whether you need a supplement at all.

Consumer Reports suggested limiting Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein to about once a week based on its October 14, 2025 lead results. That is guidance from a consumer group, not an FDA limit, and it applies to the product and serving size CR tested.

If you have kept buying the same products, save your order history. It costs nothing and is the most useful thing you can have if a new case or settlement appears. For more on why documented purchases matter, see whether you need proof of purchase.

Both suits sought refunds or a "price premium," the extra amount buyers paid because of the marketing. For supplements that cost $15 to $60 per bottle or tub, consumer class settlements typically pay a few dollars per unit, often capped per household, with more for people who have receipts. Because neither case produced a class settlement, the amount paid to ordinary buyers was $0.

For context on how supplement and food mislabeling settlements usually pay, see supplement mislabeling lawsuits and how class action money is divided.

Most contamination cases like these are false advertising claims. California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act, False Advertising Law, and Unfair Competition Law let buyers sue when a label is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. The hard part is proving that the specific product the plaintiff bought contained the substance, and that the amount matters to a reasonable buyer.

California's Proposition 65 is separate. It requires a clear warning before exposing Californians to listed chemicals such as lead above safe harbor levels, which for lead's reproductive effects is 0.5 micrograms per day. Prop 65 cases are brought by the state or private enforcers after a 60-day notice and lead to warnings and civil penalties, not refunds to buyers.

The statute of limitations for California CLRA claims is 3 years, and 4 years for UCL claims.

Neither the Nature Made nor the Garden of Life case has an open claim process as of September 2026.

1. Keep purchase records and the product label in case a new lawsuit or settlement appears.
2. If you are pregnant and concerned, talk with your prenatal care provider about which vitamin to use; do not stop prenatal vitamins without advice, since folic acid matters for early development.
3. Ignore websites that say you can "claim" money for either product. There is no official claim site.

If you believe a supplement caused a health problem, an independent attorney can tell you whether that could support an individual claim. A free case review takes about two minutes. See also heavy metals in baby food and the Costco Orgain protein powder case.

How the free case review works: you answer a short set of questions about the product, when and how often you used it, and what happened. There is no cost to ask and no obligation. If your situation matches the kinds of cases independent attorneys are handling, one of them may contact you to talk it through. If it does not, you have lost nothing, and you will still know more about where these cases stand.