Proposition 65 (Prop 65), which is officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, came into force in California in 1986.
The act intended to safeguard the safety of the state’s drinking water from contamination with chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm and requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures in their products to these chemicals. Certain levels of listed chemicals trigger whether a warning (applied to a product) is justified according to Prop 65.
If a business, product, or service causes exposure to listed chemicals greater than this ‘safe harbor level’, a business must provide a Prop 65 warning. If there are no ‘safe harbor levels’ listed, the business that exposes individuals to that chemical is also required to provide a Prop 65 warning (unless the business can show that the anticipated exposure level will not pose a significant risk of cancer or reproductive harm).
Businesses are also discouraged from providing a warning that is not necessary—for example, if there are traces, negligible amounts of a chemical in a product that is below the trigger level and not likely to expose someone to harm.
Why did we choose to add the Prop 65 warning to our products?
Heavy metals, including lead, are found in many natural foods including fruits and vegetables, grains, and nuts, and seeds. They are also found in lesser amounts in meat, seafood, and dairy products. Because heavy metals are naturally occurring in soil, inevitably small amounts will be absorbed into many foods that we eat every day.
The pea protein isolates used to create Clean Lean Protein come from sustainably cultivated European golden peas grown in Northern France. They are grown in soils that do not have high natural contents of heavy metals. Nor is the environment (air, water, soil) contaminated in any other way. The farmers are committed to sustainable production methods that minimize any use of pesticides or artificial fertilizers and from an environmental and water usage perspective, peas are among the most sustainable of crops.
Nuzest regularly tests products for safety including heavy metal levels, allergens, and contaminants.
A single serving of Clean Lean Protein regularly tests at or below the stringent Prop 65 levels for lead. However, because it is sourced from peas which are grown in soil, each batch may contain varying levels of heavy metals. Because some customers may consume more than one serving per day, or other foods containing heavy metals, Nuzest adds the Prop 65 warning to their label to ensure compliance with California regulations.
Clean Lean Protein offers a convenient, digestible, high-quality protein that is also free from common allergens and practically free from anti-nutrients. The levels of heavy metals in pea proteins like Clean Lean Protein are consistent with or less than those found in many common foods including fruits, vegetables, and tubers.
