Why do they make products (for consumption) that contain lead?

If it will make you feel any better, Calif has some of the most strict consumer protection laws in the country. 99% of what I buy has a Calif consumer protection warning on it. If there’s a .0001% chance of a problem, the companies MUST place a warning with the product. Having said that, having lead in her meds isn’t a healthy thing even without Calif being involved!!! Have you tried talking to her about her decision to take it anyway. Maybe she discussed it with her doctor & they determined that the benefits outweigh the risks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lead warning on any meds that I’ve taken so I didn’t even know that it was a thing!!!

Several possibilities here. Note that I don’t know your specific product. I’m left to speculate.

First, realize that it may well be that any such chemicals are in trace amounts that your body would have no problems with. If it were a REAL health risk, the FDA would be all over it like white on rice. Further, notice the verbiage there: “CAN expose you to chemicals INCLUDING lead.” That sounds alot like a generic warning label that isn’t ACTUALLY saying there’s lead in the product.

I’ve seen enough regulatory agencies in action that I would bet that the warning label is applied generically to classes of product without any thought or testing, and then the company would have to pay for exhaustive study and regulatory review in order to be allowed to remove the warning….and they probably concluded that it wasn’t worth their time.

California in particular I read awhile back embraced the findings from this WHO (I think) group that has been on a crusade to conclude that everything and anything is carcinogenic…even if there’s no actual scientific evidence of it. This study was criticized by numerous other health agencies…but because there’s a supposedly authoritative govt body behind it, people think it’s automatically credible and there have even been lawsuits WON because products were on this list despite ZERO scientific backing. The judge in that case even denied the defense the ability to include the FDA and NAS criticisms of the group’s list…which was insane. It might be that this warning is California using that list. Really it was a corrupt giveaway to the plaintiff’s attorney lobby.

My advice would mirror @LadyMarissa in that I would say that if you really are concerned, talk to your doctor, let your doctor decide if the product is healthy. But by default, I wouldn’t be concerned. There’s a reason the rest of the country regards California as crazy-town.

Many companies say their product(s) contain lead in case they might. They do this to prevent litigation from the state of California, not because there’s anything particularly toxic about the product. I read several articles and blogs about it a few years ago.

I’m a laymen in that regard, so my answer need not be perfect. But it may make you understand something.

We live at a time, when literally everything has been polluted to an uncertain degree. The Oceans are said to be pretty much polluted, as well as the woods or any other area on Earth.

When you catch a fish in the Sea, how can you know if its meat doesn’t contain anything that may be dangerous to your health?

They catch fish at teratons and then sell it on the market. They can’t ‘examine’ every single one of them searching for traces of metal or plastic in their meat. So they say, fish CAN contain traces of this or that.

If you kill an animal for food, the bullet that killed it can release small quantities of something into their blood, and if the animal doesn’t die quickly, the stuff can enter their tissue or some of their organs, say their heart. And if you then eat the animal’s heart, you will swallow some dangerous stuff.

Whatever, the quantities of dangerous stuff inside an animal’s meat are extremely low, so in 99,999999999% nobody gets harmed. It’s just that some people whose immune system is very weak MAY be affected by it.

Mobile phones also get a P65 warning despite the fact numerous studies have shown they don’t cause cancer. It’s got to the point P65 means nothing other than, as @snowberry points out, to avoid being sued.

Thank you for your answers. I think a doctors visit would be the best idea to check for sure. It’s hard to be safe in an unsafe world. :(

There are a few reasons for this.
First, lead is a very effective preservative. It prevents food from spoiling and keeps it looking fresh for a long time. Second, lead is very cheap to produce.
It is one of the most abundant metals on Earth, so it doesn’t cost much to mine and process.
Third, lead has a very high melting point, so it can be used to make products that need to withstand high temperatures, like cookware. Finally, lead is very dense, so it can be used to make products that need to be very strong, like bullets.

^^ But it can cause all kinds of health problems and learning deficiencies. :(

Perhaps it is hard to remove all of the naturally occurring heavy metals in the products.
Dark chocolate has high levels of lead and cadmium. See here:
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

Eating one ounce of most dark chocolate puts you over California’s maximum allowable dose levels of lead and cadmium (Pb = 0.5 Mcg and Cd = 4.5 Mcg).

^^ YIKES!

“Lead has been found in powders and tablets given for arthritis, infertility, upset stomach, menstrual cramps, colic, and other illnesses traditionally used by East Indian, Indian, Middle Eastern, West Asian, and Hispanic cultures. Traditional medicines can contain herbs, minerals, metals, or animal products that are thought to be useful in treating some ailments. Lead and other heavy metals may be added or accidentally get into the products during grinding, during coloring, or from the package.”

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/foods-cosmetics-medicines.htm

^^OMG the more I know the more I don’t know if I want to know…

Asian “pot metal” is a major source of contamination in many products. This is a legitimate concern, but the prop 65 warning on what you have likely is not. Nasty chemicals are everywhere and many are naturally occurring. If amounts are small, it’s of little to no concern. Some like BPA really are and should be avoided. Prop 65 does overreach to the point where people just ignore the warnings and most of the warnings are completely unwarranted. That’s not good because IMO, we need to know when the warnings are justified.

Nasty chemicals are everywhere and many are naturally occurring. If amounts are small, it’s of little to no concern.

Not to mention animal feces, hair, and bits and parts. 8^P gaaakkkk!

@RayaHope I think I don’t want to know either!

I got some fiber powder from Walmart and when I went hunting I happened to see it and I never had it again and got a different fiber powder substance.

Is it Psyllium powder? Some brands have more lead than others, it seems: https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/psyllium-supplements/psyllium/

@RocketGuy yeah I think that was what she had. I think she better ask her doctor about it.

California laws are so strict, a lot of manufacturers put Prop 65 warnings on their labels just to avoid liability, even though there’s nothing wrong with their products.
However, if you are dealing with Mexican products, then that’s a different issue altogether. For some reason, Mexicans love lead. They love it in their paint, on their toys, in their candies, and all over the place. (Talking about a Nationality, not a race. Not talking about Mexican-Americans).

Lead-containing pigments have really nice colors. If used in decorative ceramics, it’s not a big deal. If used on dinner plates, then it becomes a hazard.