OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - California's attorney general has accused several
manufacturers of failing to warn consumers of a potentially cancer-causing
chemical in their soaps.
In a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court, Attorney General Jerry
Brown claims that the companies' body washes, gels and liquid dish soaps contain
1,4-dioxane.
Under a state law passed by voters known as Proposition 65, businesses must
label their products or otherwise warn consumers of such chemicals.
The companies named in the suit filed late last month are Whole Foods Market
California Inc.; Avalon Natural Products; Beaumont Products Inc.; and
Nutribiotic.
In a statement, Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton said the company
investigated the allegations and does not believe "these products represent a
health risk or are in excess of California's Proposition 65 Safe Harbor level
for 1,4-dioxane."
A Beaumont spokesman said the company has reformulated its citrus dish soap
to eliminate the chemical. The Kennesaw, Ga., company's Citrus Magic soap now on
the market is not the same version originally tested and accused of violations
in the suit, said Bill Stone, Beaumont's vice president of marketing.
Representatives from Petaluma-based Avalon -- a subsidiary of The Hain
Celestial Group -- and Lakeport-based Nutribiotic did not immediately return
messages seeking comment.
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