What is Prop 65?

Prop 65 is a California law that requires businesses inside and outside of the state to notify Californians about certain chemicals in the products they purchase.

In 1986, California voters approved an initiative to address their growing concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.Its original name is Proposition 65. Prop 65 requires the state to publish a list of chemicals thought to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Prop 65 warning signs are commonplace in California, and are routinely displayed at restaurants, coffee shops, banks, gas stations, grocery stores, apartment complexes, workplaces, and even Disneyland.

Many commonly used ingredients, including cocoa, calcium, and magnesium can contain naturally occurring levels of Prop 65-listed chemicals. For example, lead and other heavy metals, which are widely distributed in soil, water, air, and rocks, can be naturally and commonly present in foods and food ingredients.

We can assure you that we never add heavy metals or any toxic substances to our products. Lead is a naturally occurring substance that comes from the ground and can be naturally and commonly present in foods and food ingredients. The lead in protein shakes and supplements comes from anything chocolate or botanical sources (including whey). Lead can also come from any ingredient that came from the ground as the lead is naturally occurring in the ground/dirt. The trace levels of lead in our shakes are lower than eating a serving of most veggies.

Our shakes are tested at or below 3 mcg per serving  In comparison, the following are some examples of lead contained in vegetables and nuts:

Sweet Potato - 15 mcg per serving 
Spinach - 15 mcg per serving 
Brussel Sprouts - 16 mcg per serving 
Mixed Nuts - 20 mcg per serving 
Collard Greens - 30 mcg per serving (50x higher than Prop 65 stipulates)

mcg = microgram (one millionth of a gram)

Because no other state or federal regulation has levels set at such a low level, especially for naturally occurring heavy metals, this notice is only required for shipments to California consumers.

California Proposition 65 has some of the most stringent warning standards in the world. For certain chemicals that are listed as reproductive toxicants, such as lead, California Proposition 65 warnings are required at extremely low levels that incorporate a 1,000-fold safety factor. In other words, for those chemicals, California sets a warning trigger level that is 1,000 times lower than the level of exposure that has been shown to have no observable effect on humans or animals.

For more information on Prop 65 please see the Prop 65 web site maintained by the State of California at https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65 or call (916) 445-6900.