Recently, there has been an increasing number of worrying warning labels on the product packaging of many consumer goods, particularly those sold or distributed in the US state of California, which are also increasingly coming into focus in this country due to the transparency of the internet:
WARNING!
This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
WARNING!
This product contains substances known to the state of California that can cause cancer, birth defects, or damage to genetic material.
But what does this warning mean, which can be found on consumer goods such as textiles, shoes, children's toys, leisure items, stationery, DIY supplies, electrical goods or even knives?
This warning stems from Proposition 65 (also known as Prop 65, CP65, or P65), passed in 1986. This law, enacted by decree and applicable only in California, aims to protect drinking water from toxic substances and requires companies to label their products with the California Proposition 65 warning if they contain the relevant ingredients. The corresponding list in the " Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 ," the official name of the labeling law, is continuously updated and now includes more than 800 chemicals and toxins, such as chlorine, alcohol, and cocaine. Companies are therefore prohibited from discharging toxic waste generated during the production process directly into or near drinking water sources. Furthermore, this labeling requirement is intended to provide consumers with transparency regarding the substances used and their potential harmful effects.
According to the law, substances in question are considered carcinogenic if the specified dosage causes cancer in one out of 100,000 people after a 70-year exposure. In the case of mutagenic substances, no significantly increased harmful effect on the organism may be detectable after a thousand exposures to the specified dose. Since the list is very long, the probability is very high that an element (indirectly) on the list is used in the manufacture of a knife. The use of brass obligates companies to include a warning label because it contains a small amount of lead. Lubricants or the application of industrial alcohol also justify the inclusion of a warning label.
Fearing legal action, many companies are preemptively labeling their product packaging with the Prop 65 warning, which, however, also leads to uncertainty among many consumers. Since Böker knives are also distributed in California through its subsidiary Böker USA, all products are labeled with the P65 warning as a precaution. The same applies to the packaging for Böker's American partners, who in turn supply their products with the corresponding warning.
Ultimately, it should be noted that the legal requirements described above are negligible for the normal use of the knives we sell, as their components pose no significant risk. A positive side effect: more and more companies are reducing the number or dosage of toxic ingredients in their products and switching to safer substitutes.