ROYCE' Chocolate and California Proposition 65
ROYCE’ Chocolate takes food and health safety seriously. Our confections are made in and imported from our facilities in Hokkaido, Japan with adherence to high quality production and strict hygienic methods. We also put utmost importance on always complying with legislative and regulatory standards here in the United States. This includes providing information on California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65.
What To Know About Proposition 65
Essentially, Proposition 65 is a law administered by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that requires warnings to be communicated with California consumers about products that might be exposed to chemicals identified by California as cancer-causing or toxic to reproductive health. These warnings are intended to help California consumers to make well-informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals from the products they use. As of this writing, the California OEHHA has identified more than 900 chemicals to be cautious about.
Important Note: All ROYCE’ Chocolate products linked to this webpage come with this precaution (see below):
WARNING: CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT CAN POTENTIALLY EXPOSE YOU TO CHEMICALS SUCH AS CADMIUM AND LEAD THAT ARE KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER AND/OR BIRTH DEFECTS AND/OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM. YOU MAY VISIT www.P65Warnings.ca.gov FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Why ROYCE’ Chocolate Provides This Warning
ROYCE’ Chocolate aims to consistently comply with all applicable laws and regulations in every detail and action possible. This includes providing this Proposition 65 notice to ensure compliance.
This warning does not mean that our products are compromised or directly harmful. A Proposition 65 warning does not mean a product has violated any product and safety standard or requirements. As further clarified by the California government, “the fact that a product bears a Proposition 65 warning does not mean by itself that the product is unsafe.” The California government has also added that “you could think of Proposition 65 more as a ‘right to know’ law than a pure product safety law.”
The California OEHHA also has a separate dedicated webpage that explains Proposition 65 in plain language: https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/general-info/proposition-65-plain-language
How Chocolates Are Subject to Proposition 65
Cadmium and lead are considered as natural heavy metal elements present in the Earth’s soil since time immemorial. Therefore, all soil-grown plants (including vegetables and fruits) and agricultural products (such as nuts and seeds) around the world inevitably contain varying levels of heavy metals. It’s important to be aware that consuming excessive amounts of these metals can pose adverse effects on one’s health.
Cacao beans naturally contain little amounts of lead and cadmium together with traces of other minerals and elements. It must be emphasized though that cacao trees — where cacao beans are sourced from — are not dependent on these metals and elements for their overall growth and sustenance, resulting only in minimal uptake and absorption. The chocolate industry has a general consensus that these elements are present in various cocoa products in differing levels between each individual farm source.
In relation, it should be emphasized that Proposition 65 provides an exemption for chemicals and minerals (such as heavy metals) considered as “naturally occurring” in food.
Resources For More Information
The government of California provides more detailed information on Proposition 65 through www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. In relation, the California OEHHA also has a dedicated website (https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65) that further explains this law together with a list of chemicals and materials that consumers should be aware of. The California OEHHA’s Proposition 65 Implementation Office can also be reached by phone at 916-445-6900. Consumers can also send an email to P65.Questions@oehha.ca.gov.
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All information provided in this webpage by ROYCE’ Chocolate is strictly for general information purposes only and is not considered as formal legal advice or any form of professional feedback or assessment. Consumers are encouraged to contact their own legal counsel for guidance on law compliance and regulatory matters that may concern them about Proposition 65 and/or this statement.
