We have long been at the forefront of California’s battle to protect health from toxic chemicals. Protecting and expanding our rights to know what is in product is essential for health professionals and scientists most importantly workers have a rights to know
all the risks and hazards they are exposed to. Filling the data gap is essential to spurring the innovation we need to make safer products. Information which Californian’s industries, workers, and communities can use to protect themselves and their families from unnecessary and toxic exposures.
We believe that this bill is an important public health measure and public we strongly support the Toxic Fragrance & Flavor Chemicals Right to Know Act of 2019 (SB574 Leyva). This important consumer and worker right to know bill requires companies selling beauty or
personal care products in California to report any fragrance or flavor ingredient to the California Safe Cosmetics Program which will publish this information on its public database. This disclosure will give the public and professional salon workers the right to information they need to avoid harmful fragrance or flavor ingredients in the cosmetic products they use in a daily basis at home
and their workplace. The physician and health advocate voice for a world free from nuclear threats and safe, healthy environment for all communities.
The lack of disclosure of fragrance and flavor ingredients is concerning because of the numerous health risks associated with many of these chemicals. There are nearly 4,000 fragrance ingredients declared by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) to currently be in use in fragrance and over 3,000 flavor ingredients designated by the International Organization of the Flavor Industry. With no labeling and little government oversight, toxic chemicals linked to cancers, learning disabilities, asthma, reproductive problems, and other illnesses are hidden in beauty or personal care products at home and on the job where children and other sensitive populations are at risk of
exposure. Personal care product testing conducted by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners in 2018 revealed that three out of four hazardous chemicals identified in the products tested were fragrance chemicals that appear on the IFRA fragrance ingredients list. Disclosure of toxic fragrance ingredients would give Californians the power to select safer products. Additionally, workers face negative health impacts as a result of fragrance exposure and have a right to know what fragrance ingredients they are being exposed to so they can also better protect
their health. We believe that consumers and workers have the right to know what chemicals are in the products they use every day- at homes and at work- so we can take action to protect ourselves and our families and send a strong message to manufacturers that we demand safer products that do not harm our health or the environment.
We support toxic transparency and safer solutions and we are calling on Sacramento lawmakers to lead. California can continue to lead the nation as an innovator in public health, environmental justice, and green job creation. Through this bill we are demanding for toxic chemicals transparency to prevent impacting communities and workers’ health negatively and create an
economy where our health can truly thrive.