California Prop 65 Warning and Information

 Gurley’s Foods takes food safety very seriously.  Foods that are grown in nature may contain trace levels of naturally occurring elements such as lead and cadmium, which are present in some soils.  Because these elements are present in the soil, they are absorbed by plants through their roots.  As a result, there may be unavoidable traces of these elements in many foods, including grains, fruits and vegetables.

  The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regularly monitors the amount of cadmium and lead in food, and we ensure that our products safely pass any FDA regulations.  California law contains what is known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also referred to as Proposition 65 (“Prop.  65”).  Prop.  65 is a unique, California-only “right to know” law that requires products sold in California to bear warnings about potential exposure to any of about 1,000 substances listed by the state as potentially causing cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm, even at trace levels.  Prop.  65’s warning standards are often set at levels far below those associated with known health risks.  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.

 Trace amounts of lead, cadmium, and other metals and chemicals listed under Prop.  65 may be found in some of even the most carefully selected and sourced ingredients contained in Gurley’s products.  Lead, as an example, is a naturally occurring element that is found throughout the environment, including in soils where it can be taken up naturally by plants and herbs all over the world.  None of these elements are added intentionally by Gurley’s.  We follow good manufacturing practices throughout our supply chain to minimize or eliminate any contamination.  Please note that just because a product has a Prop.  65 warning on it, it does not mean the product is dangerous, will actually cause harm, or even that it contains a chemical on the Prop.  65 list.  We provide the Prop.  65 warning merely out of an abundance of caution to inform our consumers.  

More information about Prop.  65 is provided by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) – http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html.