This month, our customers in the State of California may notice new warning labels affixed to new La Marzocco espresso machines, and existing customers will be receiving warning labels and a request to affix the labels to their La Marzocco espresso machines and grinders. We thought it best to provide explanation for these warning labels here on our blog, too.
As California customers and others may be aware, The State of California enacted the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, which is generally known as “Proposition 65.” Proposition 65 is a far-reaching law that applies to any company that operates in California, sells products in California, or manufactures products that may be sold in or brought into California.
Proposition 65 requires warning labels on any product that contains or may contain any of the more than 800 elements that the California Air Resources Board considers harmful. Many of the elements listed under Proposition 65 have been routinely used in everyday consumer items for years without documented harm.
The warning reads:
WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.
WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
The penalties for not complying with Proposition 65 are significant. And there are no penalties for providing unnecessary warnings. Like many other manufacturers of all types of products, we have elected to provide a Proposition 65 notice out of an abundance of caution in order to avoid the potential for liability.
For more information about Proposition 65, please visit: http://srv/users/lamarzoccousa/apps/lamarzoccousa/public.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html
