Why is there a Prop 65 warning label on this product?
1. Proposition 65 is a California law that requires a warning on any products containing qualifying levels of over 800 substances, such as pesticides, heavy metals, and even Vitamin A at certain levels.
2. The reason some of our products contain this warning is due to the presence of lead above .5 mcg per recommended daily dose or per serving. This affects less than 15% of our products.
NOTE: The highest per serving lead level found in any Just In Health product is less than you might find in a 4 oz. serving of lettuce.
3. We use the purest ingredients available, but lead is everywhere in our environment and is impossible to avoid in many natural, plant-based ingredients. That’s because lead is found in the soil where the plants are grown and, therefore, it is present in virtually all plant-based foods.
Examples of lead content
of common foods as reported by U.S. FDA
(These foods would require a Prop 65 warning if they were dietary supplements)
Food Median Highest found
Lettuce, leaf, raw 0.57 mcg/serving 1.59 mcg/serving 4 oz. serving
Spinach, fresh/frozen, boiled 1.47 7.03 4 oz. serving
Bread, cracked wheat 0.68 2.38 6 oz. serving
Sweet potatoes, fresh, baked 1.59 7.26 4 oz. serving
Fruit juice blend (100% juice) 0.85 2.38 6 oz. serving
*Data from US Food & Drug Administration
Total Diet Study-Market Baskets 2006-1 through 2008-4; Market Baskets 1991-3 through 2005-4
The fact is – most foods found in the produce section of the grocery store, along with many other healthy foods such as nuts, fish, wine, and many others – would require a Prop 65 warning label if the law was uniformly enforced.
Does a Prop 65 warning mean the product is unsafe?
1. No. As the State of California’s own Proposition 65 website states, “A Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean a product is in violation of any product - safety standards or requirements.”
2. The FDA’s Recommended Safe and Tolerable Daily Diet Lead Intake for adults is 75 mcg.
This is 150 times the amount that requires a Prop 65 warning and yet is considered safe by the U.S. FDA.
3. The FDA has established 750 mcg as the amount of lead that is known to cause health problems.
This is 1,500 times the amount that requires a Prop 65 warning.
An industry-wide issue
This issue affects all companies that make nutritional supplements. The fact that some companies selling in California are not adding warning labels to their products does not mean their products are free of lead. Some companies may not be aware of the law; some have apparently chosen not to comply; still, others have been sued or are currently in litigation with the state of California regarding their failure to comply with the law. Since consumers have the right to be informed, and even practitioners are subject to the law and subject to fines for failure to comply, JIH has chosen to add warning labels to any affected products, thereby informing consumers and protecting all parties involved