California Now Also Enforces Proposition 65 for Food Products
19 Jun 2009
Attorney General files lawsuit against major daily snack food manufacturers
The Attorney General of the State of California filed suit earlier this month against 10 major snack food manufacturers for their failure to warn consumers that certain processed snack food products expose consumers to acrylamide, a substance published on the California Proposition 65 list, which contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. The snack foods include potato chips, corn chips, bagel chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, and popcorn.
California’s Proposition 65 law has been in effect since 1986 to promote clean drinking water and keep toxic substances that cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm out of consumer products. Proposition 65 has been the reason for the addition of notices of specific chemical contents on consumer product labels. Recently The Office of the Attorney General for the State of California published the Annual Summaries of Private Settlements reports. In 2008, there were no less than 199 actionable events resulting in a record $24,537,330.44 in settlements.
Intertek (www.intertek.com/green), the leading provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of industries, is assisting customers to effectively address their California Proposition 65 compliance concerns and avoid the rapidly increasing business risk of environmental legislation enforcement.
Intertek offers effective services to support companies with achieving desired California Proposition 65 compliance. Intertek has extensive experience in Proposition 65 testing and product assessment. Services range from consulting to comprehensive testing, and include product and toxicological assessment services. In addition, Intertek specialists provide risk-based product screenings supported by comprehensive documentation of recommendations.
“Traditionally, the focus of Proposition 65 litigation has been on consumer products,” states Dr. Ruud Overbeek, Vice President of Intertek’s Health and Environmental Services, Restricted Substances and REACH. “Now manufacturers of food products are faced with similar risks and we provide the support they need to meet their legal obligations while mitigating these business risks”.
Contacts
For further information, please contact
Joel Pekay
Global Marketing and Business Development Director
Telephone: 630-481-3126
Email: joel.pekay@intertek.com
Prop65@intertek.com
www.intertek.com/green
About Intertek Health & Environmental Services (www.intertek.com/green)
Intertek Health & Environmental Services offers the complete solution for global, regional, or local compliance, providing sound traceability systems and strict enforcement of due diligence policies. Intertek does more than simply help our clients comply, we give them the competitive advantage they desire. Our Services offer comprehensive solutions for RoHS, Restricted Substances, CPSIA, REACH, California Proposition 65, Carbon Management, and Greenhouse Gas reduction, including on-call consulting, testing and analysis, legal representation, certification, and corporate education appropriate for all types and levels of business. Intertek Health & Environmental Services is a leader in global environmental compliance, consulting, technology services and product stewardship.
About Intertek (www.intertek.com)
Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 23,000 people in 100 countries around the world.