What is Proposition 65?
California Proposition 65 contains California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. It requires businesses to notify consumers in California about specific amounts of chemicals in the products they purchase, which are often below levels known to cause actual harm.
What kind of chemicals does Proposition 65 flag?
Proposition 65 has a list of over eight hundred chemicals in which the state of California has given each an individual base level for when to be considered risk-free, and when to be flagged with a warning. The list of chemicals includes some naturally occurring heavy metal materials as well as Vitamin A at certain levels. Prop 65 focuses on two types of warnings concerning these chemicals and materials: risk of cancer and risk of reproductive issues.
How strict is Proposition 65?
Proposition 65 is specific to the state of California, and as a whole is more stringent than the European Union (EU), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Canada and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
Why is the warning applied to some BareOrganics products?
BareOrganics uses the following warning for products linked to this page:
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
We do this in order to inform consumers about their health and wellness and also offer transparency in terms of our products. However, this does not definitively mean our products pose any serious health threats.
Should I be concerned?
Although some products may be marked as having materials flagged by Proposition 65, this does not necessarily mean that all products marked carry a high risk of reproductive issues or cancer. In terms of the list of chemicals, the rules and regulations of Prop 65 could be the result of tests on laboratory animals, which are often much more strict concerning consumption warnings. For example, the level of warnings for reproductive toxins in Prop 65 is 1000 times lower than levels at which no reproductive health issues or effects were reported in the animal studies.
Consumer safety and the production of natural, health-conscious foods are of the utmost priority for BareOrganics. All products are raw, chemical-free, vegan, non-GMO and organic. Most warnings administered by Prop 65 refer to naturally occurring materials in soil the plants are grown in, which exist in trace amounts all over the globe.
If you're still curious about Proposition 65 and its regulations, we invite you to visit the California State website for more information:
Proposition 65