FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 12th, 2008   Customers Breathe Easier As Cold Remedies Return To Whole Foods Chinese herb fans can stop holding their breath. Their beloved cold and allergy remedies are back on the shelves at Whole Foods Markets. After a mysterious disappearance of over a year, the fabled herbal pills have been cleared for re-entry into Whole Foods and Wild Oats markets. Dr. Shen's Yin Chiao, Dr. Shen's Zong Gan Ling, and several other herbal medicines had been suspended by the retailer due to a California Proposition 65 labeling issue. Dr. Shen's is the largest US manufacturer of Chinese herbal products for the retail market and had been a core vendor at Whole Foods for 12 years. At a press conference called by the manufacturer on Friday, it was disclosed that Dr. Shen's labels would, in the future, include a California proposition 65 warning. The issue was resolved recently in a settlement approved by the California attorney general's office. Dr. Shen founder Joel Harvey explained, "This is about tiny amounts of naturally occurring lead, which have always existed in plants everywhere on Earth. This isn't about pollution or about China. You'll find these trace amounts in all root vegetables and in most plants. There's probably more lead in a chocolate bar than in ten doses of Yin Chiao.¨ "It's a travesty that prop. 65 warnings on herbs could frighten people into taking drugs. Drugs can contain six times as much lead as herbs without any warning whatsoever. Our herbal medicines are far purer and safer than any of these drugs.¨ In California, many people have become accustomed to Proposition 65 signs, labels, and brochures warning of dangers lurking in their food and household products. Newly labeled Dr. Shen products will be available from distributors beginning June 1st.   For more information go to http://www.drshen.com/proposition65.htm Contact: Noah Albert Shen Herb Inc. 2322 5th St. Berkeley, CA 94710; (510) 548-2181 noah@drshen.com  Further Links The Whole Truth About Lead in Herbs Washington Legal Foundation article on Prop 65 N. Y Times article on Prop 65 Center for Consumer Freedom on Prop 65 Wikipedia on Prop 65