If you sell products into California, you need to be aware of Proposition 65, commonly known as Prop 65. Prop 65 was enacted as the Safe Drinking Water and Enforcement Act in 1986 to address concerns about consumer exposure to toxic chemicals. Prop 65 requires that the state of California published a list of chemicals (now over 900) that may cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. The list includes additives, ingredients, or impurities that may be found in common household products, food, drugs, dyes, or solvents. They can also be chemicals used in manufacturing or byproducts of chemical processing. For businesses selling into California, the Prop 65 regulation requires warnings to be provided to citizens prior to exposure to any chemical found on the list.
Download the article, Proposition 65: How Does This Regulation Affect Food Packaging? to learn more.
Originally published in Food in Canada.