California Proposition 65 Warning

Should I be concerned about drinking The Tea Spot teas?

We understand this warning can be alarming, and we want to be transparent with you. The lead present in our teas is naturally occurring. It is absorbed from soil and groundwater by the tea plant itself, the same way it is absorbed by many common fruits and vegetables. We do not add lead or any harmful chemicals to any of our teas.

The lead levels in our teas are well within the FDA's current tolerable intake levels and far below the amount known to cause harm in adults. The Proposition 65 threshold for lead is 0.5 micrograms per day — a limit so low that many everyday foods like potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and wheat also require a Prop 65 warning if sold in California.

What is California Proposition 65?

California's Proposition 65, formally known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires businesses to warn California consumers before exposing them to chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The list currently includes over 900 chemicals, many of which occur naturally in food, soil, water, and the environment.

A Proposition 65 warning does not mean a product is unsafe or in violation of any federal product safety standard. It means that a business is disclosing the possible presence of a listed chemical, even if the exposure level is far below what is considered harmful.

Why does tea require a Prop 65 warning?

Tea plants naturally absorb trace amounts of lead from the soil in which they grow. Lead is also released from industrial sources and aircraft — upon emission, it can travel before sticking to soil particles in the ground, transferring to groundwater and eventually being absorbed by tea plants. This makes it nearly impossible for any tea company to prove that lead present in their teas comes exclusively from natural sources, which would be required to claim the naturally occurring exemption under Prop 65.

With hundreds of chemicals on the Prop 65 list, it is also financially impossible for us to test our products for every listed chemical. We apply this warning to all of our teas shipped to California out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of full transparency with our customers.

What does a Prop 65 warning mean?

A warning is required when one or more of California's listed chemicals are known or suspected to be present in a product — unless the business can demonstrate that exposure is below the following thresholds:

• For chemicals listed as causing cancer: exposure is so low that a person exposed at that level for 70 years would not have more than a 1 in 100,000 chance of developing cancer as a result.
• For chemicals listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm: exposure is 1,000 times lower than the level shown to pose no harm to humans or lab animals.

Because proving these thresholds requires extensive and costly testing, many food and beverage companies — including most tea brands — include the warning as a precaution rather than as an indication that their products are dangerous.

Is this required for all your products?

Because tea leaves are grown in soil and naturally absorb trace minerals from the earth, we apply this warning to all of our tea products sold to California customers. This is consistent with the approach taken by tea companies throughout the industry.

Where can I learn more?

For more information about Proposition 65 and how it applies to food and beverages, please visit the official California Proposition 65 Warnings website at www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food. You can also find the full list of regulated chemicals at www.p65warnings.ca.gov/chemicals.

If you have any questions or concerns about our products, please don't hesitate to contact us — we're always happy to help.