California Proposition 65

*** FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ONLY ***

California Prop 65 FAQs

Not From California? 

So if you’re not currently living in California, you can take comfort in knowing that the below information does not apply to you. 

Californians 

By now, you’ve likely grazed your hand on a Starbucks warning sign trying to find a stir straw and a napkin or maybe your kids have wondered if Disneyland is giving them cancer. 

Disneyland Prop 65 Warning Sign

Or perhaps your first encounter is on a recent order of your favorite Progenex products. 

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What is California Prop 65?

In California it’s a law known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.  It’s also referred to as Proposition 65 and for short: Prop 65. This proposition requires the warning you now see on our label.

This notice APPLIES ONLY TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS AND NOT TO CONSUMERS IN ANY OTHER STATE, nor any other country.

The mandatory language included is disturbing, but with a little further investigation, you will understand that Prop 65 is an attempt to provide a valid signal to consumers. The primary goal of Prop 65 was to warn consumers of products that contained ‘heavy’ metals like Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Mercury, and other chemicals deemed harmful. While this sounds like a good idea, particularly as those metals can be used in pesticides, the problem is that these metals also occur naturally in the soil and water supply of even the most pristine environments. Anything that occurs naturally in the soil and water supply will also be found in the plants that grow in those ecosystems.

Some of the healthiest foods in the world, pulled straight out of the organic soil, are above Prop 65 limits. Since Progenex utilizes many Earth grown ingredients (such as cocoa and dairy from grass fed cows), some of our products are also above Prop 65 limits. Unless you ingest an amount of these metals far in excess of the levels in our products, the metals in organic form are not harmful for you. If they were, anyone eating a diet high in organic vegetables would be at higher health risk! We know that isn’t true. All Progenex products are well underneath any federal or international limits, and we are constantly testing to ensure that inorganic metals or contaminates are not affecting our products. Below is a more detailed explanation of Prop 65. Thank you for taking the time to look further, and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to email us.

Inorganic vs. Organic

The limits are used to govern the amount of non-naturally occurring, or INORGANIC, chemicals found in products. The inorganic form of these chemicals or heavy metals causes toxic harm and should be avoided. However, many of the chemicals on this list occur naturally in even the most organic foods and ingredients. As a plant grows in nature and pulls nutrients from the soil and water, it absorbs some of these heavy metals that exist naturally. Even those eating diets high in fresh organic vegetables can consume these metals at limits higher than California standards.

What are the limits?

California Prop 65 sets limits that are exponentially lower than any other system in the world. While we at Progenex appreciate a conservative approach, the problem is that setting the threshold this low automatically excludes whole classes of very healthy fruits and vegetables and healthy supplement products. Below is a comparison of Prop 65 limits for lead as compared to the rest of the world.

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NSF International limit for lead (orally)

20 mcg/day

California Proposition 65 cancer limit for lead

15 mcg/day

World Health Organization lead limit

10 mcg/day

California Proposition 65 reproductive toxin limit for lead

0.5 mcg/day

To illustrate how low California limits apply to everyday products and to put Progenex products in perspective: 

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Food (4 oz Serving)

Lead (mcg)

Shrimp, boiled

23.80

Italian salad dressing

12.20

Mixed nuts, no peanuts, roasted

10.20

Liver, beef, fried

9.00

Brussel sprouts

7.90

Sweet Potato

7.20

Spinach

7.00

Dry table wine

6.80

Avocado

4.50

Honey

4.50

Watermelon

4.50

Raisin bran cereal

4.10

Tap Water per cup

3.60 

Progenex Build Ignition Blend*

3.43

Cottage cheese 4% milk fat

3.40

Cucumber

3.40

Peach

3.40

Granola cereal

3.00

Shredded wheat cereal

3.00

Whole wheat bread

2.80

Onions

2.70

Apple, red

2.60

Green peas

2.20

Lima beans

2.20

Strawberries 

2.00

Eggs

1.50

Progenex Cocoon Cinnamon Slumber*

1.29

Progenex Recovery Belgian Chocolate*

1.26

Whole milk

1.20

Progenex More Muscle! Chocolate PB Smash*

0.94

* representative samples

Progenex’s Commitment to Quality

Progenex is committed to providing products of impeccable quality and purity. We are aggressively expanding our testing protocol to ensure that you are getting the best ingredients available.