(Niles, Illinois) Feb. 13, 2018 – An update to California Proposition 65 goes into effect in August 2018 that affects products containing chemicals identified by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). In the past, products were required to have a Prop 65 warning label, however, the update will require companies to call out the specific chemical name in addition to a warning symbol. Since these types of warning labels can be off-putting to consumers, Imbibe has developed flavors and ingredients that do not require brands to have a Prop 65 warning on their products.
Three of the blacklisted chemicals include Furfuryl alcohol, 4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI) and acrylamide. Furfuryl alcohol is not Prop 65 compliant in any amount, and 4-MEI and acrylamide require a Prop 65 claim above predetermined levels. These chemicals occur naturally in many brown-note flavors like caramel, coffee, cola, root beer and maple. Imbibe has developed these common flavors – along with several others – without those chemicals, therefore allowing brand owners the ability to remove warning labels on their products that would scare off consumers.
“We are constantly pursuing novel ingredient technologies and exploring ways to offer our clients solutions to improve taste, color, and mouthfeel that are compliant with new regulations.” said Director of Flavor Operations Justin Kozlowski. “This can be especially challenging with ingredients like caramel color, which not only gives the finished beverage a brown hue, but also imparts a sweeter and rounded out flavor profile. Our team has developed replacements for caramel color and furfuryl alcohol, which enable customers to achieve the product attributes they want without a Prop 65 claim on your product.”
Proposition 65 – also called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act – was enacted in 1986 to help California residents make informed decisions about protecting themselves from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Although many industry professionals find the Prop 65 labeling regulations to be an extreme reaction to what is commonly considered safe, Imbibe understands the impact that warning labels can have on consumer perception, which makes their ingredients an attractive solution for brand owners.
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