Prop 65: Imbibe offers solutions for beverage development

Three of the blacklisted chemicals under Prop 65 include Furfuryl alcohol, 4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI) and acrylamide. Furfuryl alcohol is not Prop 65 compliant in any amount, and 4-MEI and acrylamide require a Prop 65 claim above predetermined levels. These chemicals occur naturally in many brown-note flavors like caramel, coffee, cola, root beer and maple. Imbibe has developed these common flavors – along with several others – without those chemicals, therefore allowing brand owners the ability to remove warning labels on their products that would scare off consumers.

“We are constantly pursuing novel ingredient technologies and exploring ways to offer our clients solutions to improve taste, color, and mouthfeel that are compliant with new regulations,” says Director of Flavor Operations Justin Kozlowski. “This can be especially challenging with ingredients like caramel color, which not only gives the finished beverage a brown hue but also imparts a sweeter and rounded out flavor profile. Our team has developed replacements for caramel color and furfuryl alcohol, which enable customers to achieve the product attributes they want without a Prop 65 claim on your product.”

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Holly McHugh, Marketing Associate, Imbibe said: “We work with our clients who do not want warning labels on their products in California to help them come up with alternative ingredients. Imbibe offers several flavors and ingredients that would typically require warning labels without blacklisted chemicals (therefore allowing brand owners the ability to remove warning labels) while also maintaining or improving the quality of their product.”

“We just released a flavor library that included caramel, caramel vanilla, cola, root beer, maple, coffee, butterscotch, chocolate, and graham cracker,” she adds.

Proposition 65 – also called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act – was enacted in 1986 to help California residents make informed decisions about protecting themselves from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Although many industry professionals find the Prop 65 labeling regulations to be an extreme reaction to what is commonly considered safe, Imbibe notes that it understands the impact that warning labels can have on consumer perception, which makes their ingredients an attractive solution for brand owners.