California Proposition 65
Last updated: June 24, 2026
The short version
If you live in California, you may notice a “WARNING” drawer on many of our product pages mentioning California Proposition 65. We want to be upfront about what that means, because the warning sounds scarier than it usually is.
Proposition 65 is a California labeling law, not a statement that a product is unsafe, contaminated, or illegal. Many natural products — herbs, greens, minerals, fish oils, protein powders — contain trace amounts of substances that occur naturally in soil, plants, and the ocean, such as lead or cadmium. California requires a warning when a product can expose you to one of these listed substances above a very conservative threshold, even when the amount is tiny and the product is perfectly legal to sell nationwide.
What is Proposition 65?
Proposition 65 — officially the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 — requires businesses to give Californians a “clear and reasonable” warning before they might be exposed to any chemical on a state list of roughly 900 substances that California has identified as causing cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The list is maintained by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).
The warning threshold is intentionally strict. For lead, for example, a warning can be required at just 0.5 micrograms per day — far below federal food-safety limits. Because of that low bar, a great many everyday foods, supplements, and natural products carry a Prop 65 warning.
Why some of our products show a warning
We sell a lot of botanicals, whole-food concentrates, minerals, and marine oils. These categories can naturally carry trace heavy metals drawn up from soil and water by the plants and organisms themselves. The most common substances behind a supplement warning are:
| Substance | California lists it as causing… | Where it can naturally show up |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | Cancer and reproductive/developmental harm | Herbs & botanicals, greens/superfood powders, calcium & mineral products, cacao, protein powders |
| Cadmium | Cancer and reproductive/developmental harm | Leafy greens & greens powders, cacao/chocolate, seeds, kelp/seaweed, protein powders |
| Inorganic arsenic | Cancer and reproductive/developmental harm | Rice-based ingredients (e.g. rice protein), kelp/seaweed, some greens |
| Mercury | Reproductive/developmental harm | Fish oil, krill oil, cod liver oil and other marine sources |
These substances are not added to the products. They are naturally present in the soil, water, and raw materials, and reputable manufacturers test and work to keep them as low as feasible.
What the warning says
Where a warning applies, the product page will show wording that follows California’s official safe-harbor format. For most of our supplement and food products it reads:
⚠ WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food.
Some products may name a different or additional substance (for example, cadmium in a greens powder, mercury in a fish oil, or inorganic arsenic in a rice-based product) when that substance is the relevant one. The format is the same; only the named substance changes.
What this means for you
A Prop 65 warning does not mean a product is unsafe, defective, or in violation of any safety standard. It means the product can expose a California consumer to a listed substance above California’s notably low warning threshold. Every product we sell is legal to sell across the United States.
If you are pregnant, nursing, or have specific health concerns, we always recommend talking with your physician or a qualified healthcare professional about any supplement — Prop 65 warning or not.
Learn more (official sources)
- P65Warnings.ca.gov — California’s official Proposition 65 warnings website
- P65Warnings.ca.gov/food — warnings for food & dietary supplements
- oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65 — the agency that maintains the chemical list
This page is provided for general information about California Proposition 65 and is not legal or medical advice.
