California Proposition 65 Statement

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 STATEMENT

At Compartes, we take food safety and conformity with legislative and regulatory standards seriously. Approved raw material suppliers are asked to demonstrate that they monitor for certain contaminants in the products they supply to us or otherwise certify the raw materials as meeting applicable requirements of California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65.

Almost all cocoa products contain trace amounts of minerals and elements, including cadmium (heavy metals). The industry generally acknowledges that these elements enter the cocoa products through absorption at the farm level from the soil of cacao trees. As a result, the levels of these elements can differ between individual farms. Regarding minerals like heavy metals, such as cadmium, it's important to note that Prop 65 provides an exemption for chemicals considered "naturally occurring" in food.

We consider our chocolate and cocoa products to be in compliance with current Prop 65 regulations. Going forward, we will adjust our policies as necessary to ensure continued compliance with any updates or new Prop 65 standards that may arise.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 INFORMATION
The State of California leads The United States in ensuring food safety and protecting the rights of consumers. The state law Proposition 65 is a detailed outline that sets guidelines for food safety and for foods sold in California. This law covers areas of food safety that other states and even countries do not take into account. Please find the information about this very important food ruling and information regarding heavy metals in food.

CHOCOLATE AND HEAVY METALS
Naturally occurring heavy metal elements, like cadmium and lead, are found in all plants growing in healthy soil due to their presence in the Earth's crust since its inception. As a result, all-natural agricultural products globally have some level of heavy metals. It's essential to be mindful of consuming excessive quantities of these metals, as it can have adverse effects on your health.

Various everyday food items such as leafy greens, tubers, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, wine, and coffee contain heavy metals. Fortunately, the human body possesses a sophisticated detoxification system that efficiently identifies, categorizes, and expels these heavy metals and other toxins as waste. It's important to note that cocoa beans naturally contain trace amounts of lead and cadmium. However, cacao trees do not depend on these metals for their growth, resulting in only minimal uptake of such elements.

Cacao trees are renowned for their capacity to absorb essential nutrients and minerals such as magnesium, copper, and iron from the soil. This remarkable ability is one reason why cocoa beans are recognized as a superfood.

⚠ WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to cadmium and or lead, both are known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov

This statement is provided for general information purposes upon request of our customers. It does not constitute formal legal or other professional advice or an opinion of any kind. Customers are encouraged to seek specific advice from their own legal counsel regarding legal or regulatory matters related to this statement.