This week, Consumer Advocacy Group (CAG), a non-profit organization that files numerous Proposition 65 (Prop 65) lawsuits each year, issued notices of violation alleging that 15 companies violated California law by selling rice containing arsenic (and in some instances, lead) without a Prop 65 warning. The notices targeted a wide a range of companies, from small … Continue Reading
We recently posted a blog concerning food products and Proposition 65. There have been several chemicals in the news lately that may concern food processors, including methanol, pulegone, beta-myrcene, and PCBs. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, can be produced by natural fermentation of fruits and vegetables, and additionally when fruit cell membranes are broken … Continue Reading
Recently I drafted an article on California’s Proposition 65, which was published on FoodProcessing.com on April 9, 2012. More information about the article, with a link to the article on Proposition 65 can be found here: www.stoel.com/showarticle.aspx… Continue Reading
Yesteday, Governor Brown appointed George Alexeeff as the Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) at the California EPA. Alexeeff has been the deputy director of OEHHA since 1998 and has worked at the department since 1988. He has a doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from U.C. Davis. Among other duties, OEHHA is … Continue Reading
As of March 16, 2012 Methanol was added to the Prop 65 list as a reproductive hazard. According to OEHHA ,Methanol occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. Methanol is also formed when fruits and vegetables are physically prepared for consumption by slicing, chopping, pureeing and juicing. The production of free methanol in all these instances is the result … Continue Reading
Effective March 1, 2012, the FDA implemented an Interim Final Rule on the “Establishment, Maintenance, and Availability of Records” under the Food Safety Modernization Act, “FSMA”. The FSMA statute among other new provisions, expanded the FDA’s authority to access and demand records from relating to the specific suspect article of food records, to include those relating … Continue Reading
For news on the first alleged Proposition 65 violation concerning 4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI) in soda, see my blog posting in the environmental law blog. 4-MEI exists in some food and beverage products, including certain sodas, beers, soy sauces, breads, and coffees, among others. http://www.californiaenvironmentallawblog.com/first-prop-65-notice-of-violation-issued-regarding-4-mei-in-soft-drinks/ … Continue Reading
Sulfur dioxide was recently added as a Proposition 65 chemical that could require warnings to consumers and employees as a chemical that may cause reproductive effects. The listing of sulfur dioxide will be particularly troublesome because sulfur dioxide is used as a fumigant and preservative on a number of fruits, including grapes and in related … Continue Reading
The California Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District has upheld a trial court ruling that canned tuna sold in California need not warn consumers about methylmercury. In 2004, the State of California sued three tuna companies: Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC; Del Monte Corporation; and Bumble Bee Foods, LLC. The state argued, among other things, … Continue Reading
