4
Independent Studies
Complete nutrition, proven.
You shouldn't have to take our word for it. Every Huel meal is formulated by nutritionists, made in facilities we own or audit ourselves, and put through studies we commission and then hand to independent researchers. Over ten years of it, and we're still not finished.
Proof in numbers
$1m
A Year On Testing
670m
Meals Sold
11
Years Formulating
Science at the heart of Huel
Huel launched in 2015 and hasn't stopped innovating since. A decade of small, evidence-based improvements, never resting on our laurels.
Every batch goes to accredited labs accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and ISO 17025. Every raw material arrives with a Certificate of Analysis, which a person reviews before the ingredient is cleared. We make our powders at Huel MK, our factory in Milton Keynes, England, which we built and own. It is accredited to BRCGS and audited against Informed Sport, Coeliac UK, the Vegan Society, and Kosher and Halal standards.
Then there's the research. Four independent studies to put what we’ve made to the test.
Four independent studies. Here's what they showed.
Most nutrition brands stop at the formula. We wanted to know if it worked.
Huel has been through four independent studies, including randomised crossover and intervention trials. Between them they looked at appetite, blood glucose and insulin after eating, micronutrient status, and markers linked to metabolic health.
The studies below were designed, run and analysed by independent researchers at independent labs to get independent results.
We put Huel to the test.
Independent means independent
We commission the research, then hand it over. We’ve worked with Newcastle University, Aelius Biotech and Oxford Brookes who design the protocols independently, recruit the participants and analyse the results. Every human study is approved by an institutional ethics committee before anyone is recruited. Huel supplies the product and funds the work. After that, we don't touch it.
Our quality and testing
We routinely test finished products for microbiology, allergens, heavy metals, and pesticides through labs accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and ISO 17025. Every raw material arrives with a Certificate of Analysis, which we review one at a time before clearing the ingredient.
We spend over $1m a year on testing, across raw materials, in-process checks, and finished product.
MICROBIOLOGY
We test for salmonella, E. coli and listeria. The batch doesn’t go out until results come back clear.
ALLERGENS
Checks start with the supplier spec and carry through to the production itself with everything swabbed between runs to confirm there’s no trace.
HEAVY METALS
We batch test raw materials for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, then test the finished product again against regulatory limits.
PESTICIDES
Raw materials go through a multi-residue screen covering hundreds of compounds. Anything over the legal limit doesn’t get used.
BANNED SUBSTANCES
Select products are tested against the WADA prohibited list, so anyone competing in tested sport knows what they’re taking.
NUTRIENTS
We measure protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals in the finished product. What the label says is what’s in the pack.
Made by us, not for us
Huel MK opened in August 2024, made for Huel and nothing else. BRCGS accredited, certified by the Vegan Society, Coeliac UK and Informed Sport, and to Kosher and Halal standards.
What we don't make ourselves is made by GFSI-certified partners working to our own standard, the Huelway Code. We audit them in person more than 25 times a year.
Third party testing
Raw materials and finished products both go to independent accredited labs. Microbiology, allergens, heavy metals, pesticides, banned substances.
Every ingredient arrives with a Certificate of Analysis and our raw materials team reviews each one before it's used.
The board shaping Huel's future
Huel was formulated by a nutritionist, and it's stayed that way.
The Science Advisory Board keeps us nutrition first. They review the evidence, challenge the formulas, and tell us when the science has moved on. They're not here to approve what we've already decided.
James Collier, Registered Nutritionist (RNutr), Co-founder and Nutrition Advisor at Huel. He is a registered nutritionist and former dietitian with the UK’s National Health Service, with more than 30 years in nutrition and dietetics. He wrote the first Huel formula.
Dr. Kristen Holmes, Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist, WHOOP. A former US national team athlete and Ivy League championship-winning coach who now works with elite athletes and military units on sleep, recovery, and performance.
Dr. Idrees Mughal is a medical doctor, nutrition researcher, and author of Saturated Facts. Certified in lifestyle medicine, with a master's in nutritional research. Best known for taking apart health misinformation for an audience of over three million online.
Dr. Kristen Holmes
Dr. Idrees Mughal
James Collier
Honest answers to the hard questions
You don't have to think about any of this
That's the point of Huel. Testing, accreditations, good science. We've done that part, so you can open your Huel, make it and get on with your day.
