In California, new health labels debut
LOS ANGELES - A warning sign known to the state of California to cause anything from angst to "meh" has just become bolder and more specific.
As of Friday, consumers have to be told which of the 900 or so compounds "known to the state of California" to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm is in what they buy, touch, breathe or drink in the course of their day.
The familiar and uniquely Californian signs, which hitherto had hinted ominously at "a chemical," also will include a yellow triangular hazard symbol with an exclamation point, among other requirements that redefine what constitutes a "clear and reasonable" WARNING (written that way) under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, known as Proposition 65.
Companies are panicking, despite having a two-year grace period to comply. Coming on
