US retailers pull 22-ounce bottles of Johnson baby powder from shelves amid asbestos concern
Published:Saturday | October 26, 2019 | 10:13 AM
At least three top retail chains in the United States (US) have pulled some or all 22-ounce bottles of Johnson’s baby powder from the shelves.
Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid say the move is to avoid confusing consumers after a minuscule amount of asbestos was found in one bottle.
Last Friday, Johnson & Johnson recalled all 33,000 bottles of baby powder that were in the same batch as the contaminated bottle.
The recall came a day after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Johnson & Johnson that routine testing discovered the asbestos in one bottle that was purchased from an online retailer.
The 22-ounce bottle came from a batch that was distributed in 2018.
Johnson & Johnson says consumers should stop using any 22-ounce bottles of baby powder from batch number #22318RB.
Baby powder bottles in other sizes are still available from retailers.
The company has insisted that tests of its product over 40 years have found no asbestos contamination.
However, Johnson & Johnson says it is working with the FDA to investigate how the asbestos got into the single bottle, including whether it was tampered with.
Rite Aid spokesman Chris Savarese announced yesterday that “as a safeguard” the pharmacy chain has removed all 22-ounce bottles of baby powder until the investigation is completed.
The bottles have been placed in storage, Savarese said.
A Walmart spokeswoman said all 22-ounce bottles bearing the same bar code as the recalled batch had been removed from its shelves, but indicated that other 22-ounce bottles are still available.
Walmart and Rite Aid noted that they have set up computer system blocks to prevent customers from buying the product in case any was still on a shelf.
The recall comes as Johnson & Johnson is fighting thousands of lawsuits alleging the talc in its iconic baby powder was contaminated with asbestos and gave plaintiffs ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.