Have You Seen This Warning?
If you've purchased supplements, food products, coffee, or even visited certain businesses in California, chances are you've seen a Proposition 65 warning.
At first glance, the warning can sound alarming. Many people assume it means a product is dangerous or unsafe. Fortunately, that's not what the label means.
Understanding California Prop 65
California Proposition 65 requires warnings on products that may expose consumers to certain substances listed by the State of California. The warning is often required at levels that are far lower than federal safety standards.
In fact, Prop 65 warnings are so common that you'll find them on everything from parking garages and hotels to restaurants, coffee shops, and natural health products.
So what does this warning actually mean, and should you be concerned? Let's take a closer look.
California Proposition 65, often called "Prop 65," is a law passed in 1986 to help inform consumers about potential exposure to substances identified by the State of California as causing cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
The law requires businesses to provide a warning if a product may expose consumers to one of the hundreds of substances on California's Prop 65 list.
While the original goal was to protect consumers and the environment, the warning requirements are often much stricter than federal and international safety standards. As a result, many products sold in California carry a Prop 65 warning, including foods, beverages, supplements, household goods, restaurants, hotels, and even parking facilities.
It's important to understand that a Prop 65 warning does not mean a product is unsafe. The warning simply means the product falls under California's unique labeling requirements.
Today, Prop 65 warnings are so common that many Californians encounter them every day, often on products and places they regularly use and trust.
Proposition 65 applies to products, services, and locations that may expose Californians to substances on the State of California's Prop 65 list.
Because the law is so broad, warnings can be found on a wide variety of everyday products and places, including:
- Foods and beverages
- Dietary supplements and herbal products
- Coffee shops and restaurants
- Household goods
- Furniture and building materials
- Hotels and lodging facilities
- Gas stations
- Parking garages
- Retail stores and workplaces
In California, Proposition 65 warnings have become a common sight. Most consumers encounter them regularly in their daily lives.
Herbs are natural plants grown in soil and exposed to the environment throughout their lifecycle. Like fruits, vegetables, grains, and other agricultural products, herbs can naturally absorb trace amounts of minerals and elements from the soil, water, and air.
Some of these naturally occurring substances, such as lead, are found throughout the environment and can be present in very small amounts, even in carefully grown and harvested plants.
California's Proposition 65 sets warning thresholds that are often much lower than federal safety standards. Because these thresholds are so strict, some herbal products may require a warning label even when they meet established federal quality and safety requirements.
For this reason, many natural products, including herbal supplements, foods, and spices, may carry a Proposition 65 warning when sold in California.
At RidgeCrest Herbals, we are committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients and maintaining rigorous quality standards.
In most cases, no.
A Proposition 65 warning does not automatically mean a product is unsafe or that it exceeds federal safety standards. The warning simply indicates that California requires a notice when potential exposure to certain listed substances may exceed the state's extremely conservative warning thresholds.
Many products that carry a Prop 65 warning are fully compliant with federal regulations and quality standards. In fact, you'll find similar warnings on countless everyday products, foods, beverages, and public places throughout California.
It's also important to understand that California's warning thresholds are often set significantly lower than levels established by federal agencies and international safety organizations.
At RidgeCrest Herbals, product quality and consumer safety are top priorities. We carefully source our ingredients and follow rigorous quality standards to help ensure our products meet applicable federal safety requirements.
Lead is a naturally occurring element found in soil around the world. Because plants absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil as they grow, trace amounts of lead can sometimes be present in agricultural products, including herbs, fruits, vegetables, and grains.
In addition to naturally occurring lead, decades of industrial activity, vehicle emissions, and other environmental sources have contributed to trace amounts of lead in soils worldwide. As a result, even carefully grown plants may contain very small amounts that were absorbed from their environment.
Federal and international agencies have established safety standards for lead in food and dietary supplements. California's Proposition 65, however, uses warning thresholds that are often significantly lower than these established standards.
Because of these strict requirements, a product may carry a Proposition 65 warning even when it complies with federal regulations and quality standards. In many cases, companies choose to provide the warning to comply with California law and avoid potential legal challenges.
Even though our products meet applicable federal safety standards, California law may require us to include a Proposition 65 warning due to the state's exceptionally strict warning thresholds.
At RidgeCrest Herbals, we believe quality should be backed by transparency. That's why we test our raw materials and finished products, including screening for heavy metals. We are also happy to provide batch-specific test results upon request.
We encourage consumers to ask questions and learn about the products they use. Whether you're shopping with us or another company, don't hesitate to ask about ingredient sourcing, quality standards, and testing practices. An informed consumer is an empowered consumer.
At the end of the day, the decision is yours.
We're confident in the quality, safety, and integrity of our products. In fact, our team members use them every day and trust them with their own families.
That said, we believe trust should be earned through transparency, not simply assumed. If reviewing our testing information would help you make an informed decision, we're happy to provide batch-specific test results upon request.
Our goal is to give you the information you need to feel confident and comfortable in your choices. Ask questions, do your research, and choose the products that are right for you.
We believe informed consumers make confident decisions. If you'd like to explore the topic further, these resources offer additional information about Proposition 65, lead exposure, environmental contaminants, and product safety standards.
Resources for further reading:
California Proposition 65 Official Website
https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Lead in Food and Water
https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Lead Exposure
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541097/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Lead in the Environment
https://www.epa.gov/lead
American Herbal Products Association (AHPA): Heavy Metals Guidance
https://www.ahpa.org/
FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius International Food Standards
https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/en/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Dietary Supplements
https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements
United States Pharmacopeia (USP): Dietary Supplement Quality Standards
https://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): Herbs and Supplements
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN): Supplement Safety & Education
https://www.crnusa.org/
The Bottom Line
We understand that seeing a warning label can be concerning. However, a Proposition 65 warning does not automatically mean a product is unsafe or that it poses a health risk.
California's Proposition 65 uses some of the strictest warning thresholds in the world, which is why these warnings appear on a wide range of products, foods, supplements, restaurants, hotels, and public places throughout the state.
Herbal products are derived from plants that naturally grow in soil and interact with the environment. As a result, trace amounts of naturally occurring substances can sometimes be detected, even in products that meet federal safety standards and quality requirements.
At RidgeCrest Herbals, quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do. We test our herbs, ingredients, and finished products to help ensure they meet our rigorous quality standards. Our testing includes identity verification, purity screening, and heavy metal testing both before and after manufacturing.
We believe in transparency. If you would like to review the test results for a specific product batch, we are happy to provide them upon request. Call us at 800-242-4649 or email us at info@rcherbals.com for more information.
A Proposition 65 warning is intended to inform, not alarm. We remain committed to providing high-quality herbal products you can trust.
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