WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition is urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to reconsider signing Senate Bill 646, warning that the measure could deter pregnant women from taking prenatal vitamins and prompt manufacturers to remove essential nutrients.
The legislation, recently passed by the state legislature, would require prenatal vitamin makers to test each lot of products for heavy metals, submit the results to the state, and publish the raw data on their websites. While intended to boost transparency, CRN said the approach would mislead consumers by presenting complex information without context.
“By forcing manufacturers to release test results to consumers without sufficient explanation, the bill risks convincing pregnant women that prenatal vitamins are unsafe, when the opposite is true,” said Steve Mister, President and CEO of CRN. Most pregnant women don’t get the recommended requirements of iron, choline, vitamin D or omega-3s from their diets alone. Mister explained, “The danger is that women will either avoid supplements altogether or choose products stripped of critical nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc simply to show lower heavy-metal numbers.”
CRN noted that trace amounts of heavy metals occur naturally in many foods, including leafy greens, legumes, and fish, and are also sometimes detected in supplements, though at far lower levels than in typical diets. Without prenatal vitamins, Mister emphasized, most women would struggle to meet recommended levels of nutrients such as iron, choline, vitamin D, and omega-3s—deficiencies that can affect both maternal and infant health.
The association cautioned that while it worked to soften some provisions during the legislative process, the bill in its current form could foster confusion, reduce trust, and ultimately put women and babies at risk. CRN said responsible supplement makers already follow federal safety standards and invest in minimizing heavy-metal levels, and it called for a more balanced approach that pairs transparency with education.
CRN pledged to collaborate with policymakers, scientists, and public health experts to create standards that provide consumers with meaningful information while preserving access to safe and effective prenatal supplements.
