Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

On my second bag and I love the taste but only recently noticed an afterthought of a sticker placed on my package which called out birth defects and California Prop 65. Need to investigate. When looking closer online, there's mention of birth defects on their WWW page but no details that I could find. This is unacceptable. Why not just confront the problem and not resort to fine print? I have an email into their support group and will update my post and possibly my rating as I learn more. . . . The latest on my dialogue with their support team: [me] So is the Prop 65 trigger for your product tied to lead given all of the plant goodness inside the powder? If so, many, many other competitors to your powder should have the same disclosure, correct? That would be a good thing. I would have appreciated more up front clarity and detail on this vs. being forced down this post-facto path. You guys seem to have a great product and charge a premium for it. I can live with that. But this sort of vague Prop 65 sticker is a joke and sends the wrong message. Coke, Orange Juice, Odwalla, and tons of other drinks which are FAR less healthy for you - none of them have this problem. So folks will make comparisons without the details up front. [Athletic Greens] Prop 65 does not set limits on how much of any listed chemical a specific product can contain, but it does set a “safe harbor” exposure level below which no warning is required. That “safe harbor” is often about 1,000 times lower than normal “safe exposure” amounts, and for many chemicals, that “safe harbor” level is so low that it cannot be reliably achieved in practice. Lead is an element that is found in almost all soil. The US Geographic Survey has estimated that the average lead content of completely uncontaminated soil in the US is about 16 parts per million (ppm). Over the last hundred years, lead-bearing fuels, paints, and other products have deposited man-made lead contaminants into the soil throughout the United States (and developed countries all over the world). Crops that grow in this soil will absorb this man-made lead. In the US, lead levels in soil are now considered “low” below 500 ppm, and are considered “high” above 1000. [Note1] The EPA requires that soils in children’s play areas must be under 400 ppm, and in other residential areas must be less than 1200 ppm. For comparison, EPA requires that children’s toys contain less than 100 ppm of lead. The federal safety standard set by the FDA for lead in dietary supplements is no more than 10 ppm. International standards are often 5 ppm. But the Prop 65 “safe harbor” standard is 0.5 micrograms per day, meaning that a person may not be exposed to lead above this amount, for any product, without a Prop 65 warning. Setting aside the difficulties of translating this exposure level to a concentration level in a specific product, applying this standard to supplements means that lead content levels may need to be many times lower than federal levels, in order for a product to be sold without a Prop 65 warning. Above the “safe harbor” levels, a Prop 65 warning must be given to avoid lawsuits and potential liability. Similar “safe harbor” standards are set for over 800 other chemicals on the Prop 65 list. Even where Federal and International safety standards are clearly met, if there is any likelihood that lead (or any of the other 800+ compounds on California’s list) might exceed California’s “safe harbor” levels, then a Prop 65 warning like the one above is the only way to avoid expensive lawsuits. [me] Which ingredients in particular are triggering the Prop 65 label? [Athletic Greens] We apologize for any frustration or confusion this may have caused on your end but completely understand! Athletic Greens is healthy and safe for everyone; however, for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and those who take medications, we strongly recommend checking with your doctor first. We do have some expecting moms who take Athletic Greens, but each person is different and your doctor will be able to best determine if Athletic Greens is right for you during this very special time. But if you are also referring on this warning from California Label or Prop 65: WARNING: THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER AND BIRTH DEFECTS OR REPRODUCTIVE HARM. Our products meet or exceed all applicable Federal safety standards, which are extensive. However, a unique California law (Prop 65) requires the above warning in many situations. In California, similar warnings are posted in almost every hotel, gas station, or parking garage, clothing stores and on a great many other places and products as well.