California Sues Whole Foods Over Carcinogen in Soaps

Tag : liquid soaps
California's attorney general Jerry Brown has filed suit againstfour companies, including Whole Foods Market, accusing them offailing to label soap products that contain a potentiallycancer-causing chemical.

Besides Whole Foods, the suit names Avalon Natural Products,Beaumont Products Inc., and NutriBiotic. Filed in Alameda CountySuperior Court late last month, the legal action did not indentifythe specific body washes, gels, and liquid dish soaps thatallegedly contain 1,4-dioxane. Under a state proposition, companiesmust label products that contain chemicals known to the state tocause cancer.

California's deputy attorney general, Susan Fiering, said the statewas in discussions with all four companies and hoped they wouldreformulate the products, according to press reports.

The attorney general's office also warned 18 companies that some oftheir products contained the chemical, reports said.

Libba Letton, a spokeswoman for Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods,said the company believed its products were safe.

"We have conducted our own investigation into the allegations thatsome of our products contain 1,4-dioxane and do not believe theseproducts represent a health risk or are in excess of California'sProposition 65 safe harbor level for 1,4-dioxane," Letton said."We're cooperating with the attorney general's office to resolvethe claims as quickly as possible."

Each violation carries civil penalties of as much as $2,500 a day,reports said.