California Proposition 65

Companies doing business in California, USA, need to be aware of and comply with Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act 1986.

SGS’s California Proposition 65 services offer your organization analytical testing and consultancy services to evaluate your product(s) for composition, exposure assessment and to recommend a pathway to compliance with Prop 65.

California Proposition 65 affects all consumer products sold or distributed in California, including textiles, hard goods, DIY, toys, juvenile products, and electrical/electronic items. In its simplest form, Prop 65 is a consumer “right-to-know law” that informs consumers if certain hazardous chemicals are present in a product.

The Act lists more than 800 chemicals “known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity”. Its purpose is to protect California’s citizens and drinking water from the potentially harmful effects of toxic chemicals in everyday products and consumer goods. The list is updated and published at least annually.

We can assist you to determine if Prop 65 listed chemicals are present in your products; identifying exposure routes and assessing the risk levels of your products. We monitor Prop 65 developments and court settlements to help you implement a proactive and comprehensive compliance program for your product. We help you do business in the state and stay informed about regulatory and policy developments for consumer products.

CA Prop 65 testing includes products in the following categories:

• Jewelry
• Toys
• Electrical devices
• Glass & ceramic materials
• Clothing
• Food
• Drugs
• Agricultural pesticides
• Dyes
• Cosmetics
• Premium and decorative items
• Articles used in manufacturing and construction
• By-products of chemical processes: exhaust from motor vehicles, tobacco smoke, burning natural gas

To achieve CA Prop 65 compliance firms should ensure that products they sell in California do not pose significant risk of exposure to cancer or reproductive harm, or provide clear and reasonable warnings. A California Prop 65 warning must be given for listed chemicals unless exposure is low enough to pose no significant risk.

Our global network of testing laboratories means we can provide testing and consultation to ensure compliance with Proposition 65 and all global regulations for restricted chemical substances anywhere in the world.

Find out how our California Proposition 65 services can help your organization.