What is California Proposition 65?
This notice applies only to purchasers that live in California.
If you’ve encountered a Prop 65 warning label, you might be asking yourself if a Teami Blends product you purchased is safe.
Proposition 65 (Prop 65), also known as “California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986,” requires cancer or reproductive warnings on products that may lead to exposure to compounds, even at levels 1,000-times less than the level at which no measurable effect can be scientifically detected, for example as in the case of lead.
The California law states that a consumer warning must be issued when a substance on the Prop 65 chemical list is present above a very low threshold. This list contains approximately 900 substances and is constantly evolving.
Proposition 65 Facts
Prop 65 limits for lead are so low, almost all foods contain amounts higher than allowed:
24 Times Higher: Mixed nuts, no peanuts, roasted 10.2 mcg, Liver, beef, fried 9.0 mcg
16 Times Higher: Brussels sprouts, fresh, boiled 7.9 mcg, Sweet potato, fresh, baked 7.2 mcg ,Spinach, boiled 7.0 mcg
8 Times Higher: Avocado, raw 4.5 mcg , Honey 4.5 mcg, Watermelon, raw 4.5 mcg,
Cucumber, Raw 3.4 mcg, Peach, raw 3.4 mcg, Apple, red, raw 2.6 mcg
What kinds of food are affected?
Almost all foods contain some level of one or more of the substances recognized by the State of California. In most cases, the exposure levels established by Prop 65 are less than what occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, and even drinking water. The Proposition 65 exposure standards are so strict that certain natural foods such as yams, turnips, apples, tomatoes, artichokes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, and corn provide exposures in excess of Prop 65 limits. However, food producers are not required to provide Prop 65 notices.
Should I be worried about consuming Teami Greens Superfood Powder or other natural products?
No! We take our products ourselves and they are safe to use as directed. Even according to the California agency in charge of Prop 65, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), a Prop 65 warning does not mean a product goes against any safety standards or requirements, and we believe our products are safe to use as directed.
Proteins, plants, and minerals all are well-known to contain substances that exceed those allowed exposures on the Prop 65 list. Naturally grown plants absorb metals and other trace chemicals from the soil in which they are grown. For example, Prop 65 sets a safe harbor limit of 0.5 mcg of lead per serving, but this limit is far below the amount of lead naturally found in many fruits and vegetables grown on clean, non-contaminated soils. In 2009 the State of California conducted its own food crop soil-lead-uptake analysis (Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 129:212-220), and California’s experts found that the most commonly consumed vegetables (from 70 different locations), averaged nearly four times the Prop 65 lead limit per serving.
If you would like to further educate yourself on Proposition 65 and its implications, please visit any of the links below.
