CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING

What is Proposition 65?

California Proposition 65, officially known as “The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986,” is a state law requiring businesses to provide warnings about exposure to chemicals that California has determined may cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The law covers over 900 chemicals, many of which occur naturally in the environment.

Understanding the Requirements

Proposition 65 was originally enacted to prevent toxic dumping in California waters and ensure consumers’ right to know about potentially harmful chemicals in products, food, and water. The law requires warnings when products contain measurable amounts of listed substances, even at levels significantly below those known to cause harm.

Lead and Natural Occurrence

One of the most commonly cited chemicals under Proposition 65 is lead, which occurs naturally in:

• Soil and groundwater
• Ocean water
• Plant and herb materials
• Environmental sources

The law requires warnings if lead content exceeds 0.5 micrograms per day in any product—a level nearly 1,000 times lower than amounts known to cause reproductive harm according to federal standards, and well below FDA’s current tolerable intake levels.

Why You See This Warning

Universal Precautionary Approach: Due to the comprehensive nature of Proposition 65’s requirements, we display warnings on all products shipped to California addresses, regardless of specific items ordered. This same warning appears in hotels, stores, gas stations, airports, parks, and public buildings throughout California.

Testing Limitations: It would be prohibitively expensive and practically impossible to test every product for all 900+ substances on the Proposition 65 list. Out of an abundance of caution, we provide warnings on all California shipments.

Natural vs. Environmental Contamination

While many substances occur naturally, over a century of industrial activity has increased environmental levels of certain chemicals, including lead, through:

• Historical use of leaded gasoline
• Coal and fossil fuel combustion
• Industrial emissions
• Atmospheric distribution into soil and water

This environmental presence makes it impossible to prove that trace amounts in products are entirely from natural sources, even though we never intentionally add these substances to our products.

Product Safety

Our products are safe and regularly tested. The presence of a Proposition 65 warning does not mean a product is unsafe—it simply indicates compliance with California’s unique disclosure requirements.

Important Notes

• Warnings are required even for trace amounts far below harmful levels
• Many everyday foods and products carry similar warnings in California
• Federal agencies may have different safety standards and thresholds
• Products are manufactured to meet all applicable safety standards

For More Information

Visit the Official California Proposition 65 Warnings website: https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/products/food