California Prop 65

California’s Proposition 65 Info

You may have seen this warning on various products:

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

What is California Prop 65?

Formerly known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, Proposition 65 requires the publication of a list of chemicals that the State of California determines causes cancer or birth defects. It also requires companies that sell products containing those chemicals to inform California residents about the risk of exposure, either by including a warning notice on the product label or by informing the customer in an approved way before purchase. Proposition 65 warning notices can be seen all throughout California in restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, bars, schools, hospitals, and amusement parks.

Who is required to display a Prop 65 warning?

Proposition 65 requires companies to put this notice on their products if any ingredient tests over 1/1000th of what the World Health Organization deems the “Safe Harbor Level” for a chemical on its list, which includes some naturally occurring minerals. While many countries and states rely on federal governing bodies to set these levels, California has created its own law and stipulations that companies must follow if they plan to do business in the state. No other state or country enforces Proposition 65 law.

When a company includes a Proposition 65 warning notice on a product page or label, it does not mean the product is unsafe. The warning notice is included to inform California consumers of the presence of a Proposition 65-listed chemical so the consumer can make an informed decision when purchasing the product.

It is important to note that heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury do occur naturally in soil and water. As plants grow, they pull nutrients from the soil and water, including trace amounts of some naturally occurring heavy metals.

How Ozzi tests

At Ozzi, all products across every single batch are tested for both heavy metals and harmful bacteria. Before any products ship to consumers, we quarantine them until we have received passing tests to ensure consumer safety. You can read more on our third-party testing and certification page.

For more information about Proposition 65, go to oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65.