California Proposes Update to Prop 65 Toxic Chemical Product Warning Label
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has released a new set of revisions to its proposed overhaul of the state’s Prop 65 product labeling law. This effort is the first significant modification to the label, which must be appended to certain products and product shelf spaces, in several decades. The new warning label has been under development since 2013.
According to Prop 65, manufacturers must label products that contain a significant level of toxic chemicals deemed to pose health hazards to consumers, particularly cancer. Similarly, retailers must include a notice on shelving next to these products, further alerting consumers about the potential risks. As a result, manufacturers and product sellers doing business in California must conduct thorough tests and investigations into the chemicals that are present in their products.
OEHHA administers Prop 65 in California and maintains a list of the toxic chemicals that will require a manufacturer to include a warning. The list also provides the minimum levels at which a label will be required. In some cases, a trace amount of a toxic chemical present in a product will not require a label. There are a wide variety of chemicals on the list, including both naturally occurring and synthetic ingredients.