Why did warning labels suddenly appear on Seven Forests and other ITM products sold to California?
A. The products have not changed. Californians passed Proposition 65 (a regulation calling for warning labels and signs) in 1987 and this regulation is gradually being enforced through legal actions initiated by some California citizens. Enforcement frequently results in application of a warning label like the one that has appeared on the bottles of ITM products regarding lead content. Application of Proposition 65 to Chinese herb products began in 2001, first involving companies based in California and then spreading to companies outside of California who ship products into California. ITM had not previously utilized this label due to misunderstanding about the applicability of Proposition 65 to its materials; public notification about Proposition 65 has been limited, most likely because legal cases have dominated the enforcement method, as opposed to educational programs and advisory notices.
