California Proposition 65 Warning

Can I Trust That Fontanini Products Are Safe Despite This Warning?

1. What is Proposition 65?

In 1986, California voters approved the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, commonly known as Proposition 65 or "Prop 65." The purpose of Proposition 65 is to inform consumers about potential exposure to chemicals identified by the State of California as causing cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Any business with ten or more employees that operates in or sells products into California must comply with Proposition 65. To do so, businesses are required to:

1. Avoid knowingly discharging listed chemicals into sources of drinking water.
2. Provide a clear and reasonable warning before knowingly exposing consumers to listed chemicals.

2. Why Does Fontanini Provide This Warning?

California maintains and regularly updates a list of more than 1,000 chemicals covered under Proposition 65. Many of these substances can be found in trace amounts in a wide variety of everyday consumer products, including decorative figurines, home decor, packaging materials, and collectible items.

Fontanini is known for its handcrafted nativity figures, villages, stables, ornaments, crucifixes, and other decorative accessories. Like many painted and finished decorative products, certain items may contain trace amounts of chemicals covered under Proposition 65.

For example:

• Trace amounts of lead may be present in certain paints, finishes, glazes, pigments, or metal components.
• Bisphenol A (BPA) may be present in small amounts within plastic packaging, labels, adhesives, or protective materials.
• Phthalates (DEHP and/or DINP) may be found in certain PVC packaging materials, electrical cords, or components used in lighted or musical products.

Fontanini provides this warning to comply with California law.

3. Proposition 65 Exposure Standards

Unlike many federal product safety regulations, Proposition 65 does not prohibit products from containing these chemicals. Instead, it requires businesses to provide a warning unless they can demonstrate that exposure falls below California's extremely conservative risk thresholds.

For chemicals identified as carcinogens, the standard is based on an exposure level associated with no more than one additional case of cancer in 100,000 individuals exposed daily over a lifetime.

For reproductive toxicants, the allowable exposure level includes a substantial safety margin and is set well below levels associated with observable health effects.

Because Proposition 65 standards are unique to California and are intentionally conservative, many companies choose to provide warnings on products sold in California rather than conduct extensive exposure testing for every individual product.

4. Does This Mean the Product Is Unsafe?

No.

A Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean a product is unsafe. It simply means the manufacturer or retailer is providing a notice required under California law.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has stated that Proposition 65 warnings are intended to help consumers make informed decisions and should not be interpreted as an indication that a product violates any safety standards.

Many products sold throughout the United States, including furniture, jewelry, electronics, cookware, ceramics, decorative items, and collectibles, carry Proposition 65 warnings.

5. Fontanini's Commitment

Fontanini is committed to providing beautifully crafted products while complying with all applicable laws and regulations.

To comply with California Proposition 65, applicable products and packaging may include the required warning label, and this notice is provided on our website to help customers understand why the warning appears.

The presence of a Proposition 65 warning does not indicate that a product is unsafe when used as intended.

6. Additional Information

For more information about California Proposition 65, please visit the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) .