Clean Label Project Urges California to Act on SB 646 to Protect Pregnant People and Babies
BROOMFIELD, CO (April 1, 2025) – A newly published peer-reviewed study has revealed alarming levels of heavy metal and phthalate contamination in prenatal vitamins commonly marketed to pregnant people in the United States.
Conducted by researchers at the University of Miami, Clean Label Project, and Ellipse Analytics, the study analyzed 156 over-the-counter and nine prescription prenatal supplements, finding that:
- 83% contained detectable lead, with 15% exceeding California’s Proposition 65 threshold of 0.5 micrograms per serving;
- 73% contained cadmium, a known reproductive toxicant;
- Phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, were detected in over 25% of products;
- Prescription prenatal vitamins were not immune, with one-third exceeding the Proposition 65 threshold for lead.
“These findings are deeply concerning given that prenatal vitamins are taken daily by pregnant people during a period of critical fetal development,” said Jaclyn Bowen, Executive Director of Clean Label Project and co-author of the study. “Toxic exposure in utero has long-term impacts on cognitive, behavioral, and metabolic health. We must do better.”
The study, published in Environmental Research, highlights the urgent need for enforceable limits and routine testing of heavy metals in prenatal vitamins—a gap that currently exists in both federal and state regulations.
CLEAN LABEL PROJECT SUPPORTS SB 646 TO CLOSE THE GAP
The release of this study comes as California lawmakers consider Senate Bill 646, introduced by Senator Weber Pierson, which would expand the scope of AB 899 to include prenatal vitamins, requiring manufacturers to disclose levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic on product labels.
“We applaud Senator Pierson’s leadership in authoring SB 646,” Bowen said. “This bill builds on the momentum of AB 899 and ensures that pregnant people have the same right to transparency as parents buying baby food. It’s common sense: If we’re going to protect babies, we must also protect them before they’re born.”
Clean Label Project is urging California lawmakers, regulators, and maternal health advocates to support SB 646 as a critical step in protecting pregnant people and developing babies from preventable toxic exposures.
“Science shows us that the first 1,000 days of life—starting in the womb—are foundational to a child’s future and inextricably linked to the health of the mother,” Bowen said. “Regulatory efforts aimed at baby food safety have fallen short by failing to consider that this critical window begins at conception, not just at birth. We can’t wait any longer to act.”
For more information on Clean Label Project’s mission and advocacy efforts, visit www.cleanlabelproject.org.
About Clean Label Project
Clean Label Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting truth and transparency in consumer product labeling and ingredient quality. By testing for industrial and environmental contaminants in popular products, Clean Label Project provides consumers with the information they need to make safer, healthier choices.
Media Contact:
Kate Stuard
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