Micro Ingredients Lawsuit: Prop 65 Notices and Settlements

Micro Ingredients, the supplement brand run by DPL Trading, Inc. of Montclair, California, is the subject of multiple California Proposition 65 enforcement notices alleging that its powdered supplements contain lead and other harmful chemicals without the warnings California law requires. The Micro Ingredients lawsuit activity so far consists of private enforcement actions rather than government prosecution or an FDA recall, and most of the matters are in pre-litigation or early stages as of mid-2026. One earlier case, involving kelp powder, settled in 2023 for $8,750 with no admission of wrongdoing.1California Attorney General. DPL Trading Inc. Settlement Agreement

What the Notices Allege

Nearly every notice centers on lead, which California has listed as a reproductive toxin since 1987 and a carcinogen since 1992. One product, a pea protein powder, was flagged for PFOA, a “forever chemical” also on the Prop 65 list. A vitamin A supplement was cited for retinol.

At least a dozen distinct Micro Ingredients products have been named across notices filed between 2022 and early 2026:

  • Kelp powder
  • Ceylon Organic Cinnamon Powder and Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder
  • Organic Freeze-Dried Spinach Powder
  • Organic Wheat Grass Powder
  • Organic Ginkgo Biloba Powder
  • Organic Ginger Powder Rich In Antioxidants
  • Pea Protein Powder Vegan Natural Unflavored (PFOA)
  • Organic Psyllium Husk Powder
  • Organic Maca Root Powder
  • Organic Moringa Powder
  • Maximum Strength Vitamin A 25000 IU (retinol)

The allegations come from independent laboratory testing commissioned by the enforcement groups. Micro Ingredients states on its own FAQ page that its products are “third-party lab tested for heavy metals and micro-organisms.”2Micro Ingredients. FAQs The notices do not directly address those testing claims.

Who Is Suing, and Under What Law

California’s Proposition 65 requires businesses to warn consumers before exposing them to chemicals the state has identified as causing cancer or reproductive harm. Private enforcement groups can bring these cases: they must first serve a 60-day notice of violation, and if the matter isn’t resolved during that window, they can file suit seeking civil penalties, product reformulation, and retroactive warnings to past customers.

Four different private groups have targeted Micro Ingredients products:

  • Clean Product Advocates (2022, kelp powder)
  • Chemical Toxin Working Group, doing business as Healthy Living Foundation (2024, cinnamon and spinach)
  • Center for Consumer Safety (August 2025, vitamin A)
  • CalSafe Research Center (August 2025, psyllium husk; February 2026, maca root and moringa)
  • Environmental Research Center (September 2025, wheat grass, ginkgo biloba, ginger, and pea protein)

Several of the notices also name retailers that sell the products, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and iHerb, as well as a related Montclair company, Fifth Nutrisupply, Inc., and Bayland Health Products LLC, which has also operated under the Micro Ingredients name.3California Attorney General. Chemical Toxin Working Group Notice of Violation4California Attorney General. ERC Notice of Violation, DPL Trading Inc.

Timeline of Notices and Settlements

Kelp Powder, Settled 2023

Clean Product Advocates served a notice in May 2022 alleging lead in Micro Ingredients kelp powder without the required warning. The matter settled in March 2023 for a total of $8,750, split between $500 in civil penalties and $8,250 in attorney’s fees. DPL Trading denied all allegations as part of the settlement.1California Attorney General. DPL Trading Inc. Settlement Agreement

Cinnamon and Spinach, September 2024

The Chemical Toxin Working Group alleged lead in two cinnamon powders and a freeze-dried spinach powder, naming Fifth Nutrisupply, Micro Ingredients, Amazon, and Walmart. As of mid-2026, the notice has not progressed to a filed complaint or settlement.3California Attorney General. Chemical Toxin Working Group Notice of Violation5California Attorney General. Prop 65 60-Day Notice Search Results

Vitamin A and Psyllium Husk, August 2025

On August 1, 2025, the Center for Consumer Safety filed a notice alleging that Maximum Strength Vitamin A 25000 IU contained retinol in violation of Prop 65, naming DPL Trading and Amazon.com.6California Attorney General. Prop 65 60-Day Notice 2025-02878 The same month, CalSafe Research Center alleged lead in Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, naming DPL Trading and Target, with violations alleged to have been ongoing since at least June 2025.7California Attorney General. CalSafe Research Center Notice of Violation, Psyllium Husk

Four Products, September 2025

The broadest action came from the Environmental Research Center on September 18, 2025, naming DPL Trading and Bayland Health Products LLC. The notice alleged lead in Organic Wheat Grass Powder, Organic Ginkgo Biloba Powder, and Organic Ginger Powder Rich In Antioxidants, and PFOA in Pea Protein Powder Vegan Natural Unflavored. ERC said the contamination had been ongoing since September 2022 and demanded reformulation or compliant warnings, civil penalties, and retroactive warnings to California customers who had bought the products over the preceding three years.4California Attorney General. ERC Notice of Violation, DPL Trading Inc.8Environmental Research Center. Active Cases, DPL Trading

Maca Root and Moringa, February 2026

CalSafe Research Center issued an amended notice on February 10, 2026, alleging lead in Organic Maca Root Powder and Organic Moringa Powder, naming DPL Trading and iHerb. CalSafe set a March 12, 2026, deadline for the companies to provide corporate information to its legal counsel.9California Attorney General. CalSafe Research Center Notice of Violation, Maca Root and Moringa

How These Cases Usually End

Most Prop 65 enforcement matters settle out of court. Settlements typically bundle civil penalties, attorney’s fee payments, and commitments to add warning labels or reformulate the product. The kelp powder resolution fits that pattern: a small penalty, a larger fee award, and no admission.

Across all enforcers in 2024, the average Prop 65 out-of-court settlement ran about $24,600, with most of the money going to attorney’s fees rather than civil penalties. The Environmental Research Center alone reached 34 settlements that year totaling roughly $1 million.10CEI. Prop 65 Out-of-Court Settlements in 2024: Year in Review The statutory ceiling is $2,500 per day per violation, but actual settlement penalties tend to come in well below that cap.

Current Status and What It Means for Buyers

No FDA recall has been issued for any Micro Ingredients product, and the products remain available through major online retailers. The 2022 kelp matter is settled. The September 2024 cinnamon and spinach notice has not advanced to a complaint. The 2025 and 2026 notices sit in their pre-litigation windows or are approaching the point where the enforcement groups can file suit. DPL Trading has not made a public statement about the current round of actions and denied the allegations in the one matter that reached a documented resolution.1California Attorney General. DPL Trading Inc. Settlement Agreement

A Prop 65 notice is an allegation, not a finding, and it is specific to California’s warning-label law. These notices do not say the products violate federal food-safety limits, and they do not establish that any particular consumer was harmed. If you bought one of the listed products and want to check what you have, Micro Ingredients tells customers they can contact the company with a lot number to confirm country of origin and testing information.2Micro Ingredients. FAQs If any of the pending matters settles with a retroactive-warning or restitution component, affected California purchasers would typically be notified through the retailer or by the enforcement group handling the case.