Our Prop 65 Warning for Sea Moss Explained

Why does this product have a warning?

Our Sea Moss supplement is made from naturally grown sea moss harvested from the ocean. Like many plants and marine vegetables, sea moss can absorb naturally occurring minerals, including trace levels of heavy metals, from the water and environment in which it grows. We routinely test our batches of Sea Moss to ensure there are no dangerous levels of heavy metals present. However, because these trace elements can occur naturally and we are unable to test every individual capsule, we are required to include the Prop 65 warning for lead (and other listed substances) for customers in California.

More on Prop 65

What is Prop 65?

Proposition 65 (Prop 65) is a California-only law, formally known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, enacted in 1986. Prop 65 is a unique to California “right to know” law, which requires products sold in California to include warning notices about potential exposure to any of the 800+ chemicals or elements listed by the State of California, including those occurring naturally in plants and herbs. Prop 65’s warning is required for any product (food, jewellery, dishes, etc.) that may expose an individual in California to virtually any detectable amount of a listed substance, even at levels far below those known to cause harm, and far below any federal safety levels. Prop 65 does not ban any products from sale in California; it simply requires broad warnings about the listed elements contained in the product. No other state has a law similar to Prop 65.

How does this affect our Sea Moss supplement?

We source high-quality sea moss and strictly follow good manufacturing practices to help ensure that our finished Sea Moss supplement is not contaminated with any chemicals beyond those that may occur naturally. We never add heavy metals to our products. It is generally understood that lead and other heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, in trace amounts which can still exceed Prop 65’s extremely low warning levels, in various plants, herbs, and natural ingredients – including those used to make our Sea Moss supplement.

Should I be worried about consuming our Sea Moss?

We are very proud of our Sea Moss supplement, including how it is made and the ingredients used. Accordingly, our Sea Moss and other products are safe to consume as directed. California’s Prop 65 regulations require warnings for exposure to listed chemicals at levels far below those known to cause any actual harm, and far below any federal safety regulations.

What other kinds of natural foods are affected?

Many foods contain trace levels of one or more of the chemicals listed by the State of California under Prop 65. Frequently, the exposure levels established by Prop 65 can be less than what occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, fish, and other foods that are part of a healthy diet. Indeed, while acknowledging that fish are part of a healthy diet, Prop 65 plaintiffs forced many grocers to post Prop 65 warnings about listed chemicals in fish that grow wild in the ocean. Moreover, a cup of spinach (8 ounces) pulled straight from the ground can contain up to 6 times the level of lead at which a warning is required under Prop 65, a cup of carrots up to 3 times the level, and a cup of raisins up to 8 times the level.

Why do we put Prop 65 notices on our products?

Naturally grown plants, herbs, and marine vegetables like sea moss are known to absorb metals and other trace chemicals from the environment in which they grow; this can trigger a Prop 65 warning requirement in California. Our ingredients are not artificially made in a lab – we use whole food ingredients for their natural nutritional benefits. The Prop 65 notice is there to provide transparency about these naturally occurring trace elements, even when levels are far below those known to cause harm.

I don’t live in California – why is there a Prop 65 warning on my Sea Moss?

This notice is required only for California consumers. Other state and federal regulations have levels that do not require a warning, especially for naturally occurring levels of heavy metals. However, as we operate a centralised inventory and shipping system and are not able to show this warning only to California purchases, it appears on all products where required, regardless of the customer’s location.