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Understanding Prop 65

Whether you are buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks to shopping for a fillet of salmon in the Grocery store, you have probably noticed signs or labels documenting the Prop 65 labels.

Don’t be overly alarmed. We will help to understand Prop 65 labeling. Although Proposition 65 remains politically controversial even after 27 years, in large part because, it requires companies to label items with scary and misleading warning language.

The Prop 65 notices can be alarming but in reality we use products listed on this list literally every day without getting sick. This range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals found in hardware to grocery stores, hospitals to shopping malls state: any company based in CA (or ships into CA) must place notification stickers on all products containing even the smallest possibility of unhealthy chemicals. The law is to help consumers be aware of possible exposures to naturally occurring and man-made chemicals on the state’s list for Proposition 65.

In general, the list includes chemicals, additives or solvents, and trace ingredients that can be found in everyday common household products, foods, pet products, pesticides, clothing, drugs, dyes and even building materials.

Most common items are products containing brass or iron (even our own US coins), products containing polyurethane, finishes to cookware, ceramic ware and glassware, products containing poly-foam, products made out of rubber like exercise mats, some cosmetics, polyester clothing & vinyl shoes, faux leather upholstery or vinyl lounge chairs, most luggage, even jewelry and many fashion accessories.

Well know companies that follow CA State law for listing Prop 65 sticker

  • Starbucks
  • Amazon.com
  • Disneyland Resort
  • Car manufactures
  • Fuel & Energy Companies
  • Mattress manufacturers

 

The bottom line is that one would need to literally ingest our furniture or spend a 70-year lifetime exposed to heavy doses of Prop 65 chemicals and still only have a 1 in 100,000 chance for consumers to be under actual exposer or risk to getting sick.

 For more info on Prop 65: http://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/background/p65plain.html