60-Day Notice

In her ongoing efforts to protect the public in California against exposure to carcinogenic chemicals found in flame-cooked hamburgers, Dr. Whitney Leeman, a client of The Chanler Group, has recently issued a dozen new 60-Day notices for restaurants and stores that serve flame-cooked burgers found to contain such chemicals. Dr. Leeman expects to serve additional notices to businesses in violation of Proposition 65.

In March 2012, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reported that lab tests showed Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, and Diet Pepsi contained high levels of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. 4-MEI is used in the manufacture of caramel coloring, giving these cola beverages their distinctive brown colors, and added to a number of foods and beverages for coloring.

On December 3, 2012, Dr. Whitney Leeman, a client of The Chanler Group, served Sixty-Day Notices of Violation of Proposition 65 on McCormick & Company, Inc. and Adams Extract & Spice, LLC, alleging that these companies sold food extract, flavor, and coloring products containing 4-MEI in California without first providing the requisite health hazard warning. The food extracts, flavors, and colorings containing 4-MEI include, but are not limited to, imitation maple flavor, and caramel color. See Dr. Leeman's Notices below.

Read the most recent notices issued by clients of The Chanler Group