Urgent recall of baby powder that can cause CANCER and sold in 35 states
More than 40,000 bottles of baby powder sold on Amazon have been recalled over fears they could be contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.
The product was first withdrawn from sale in September after the FDA said the product may have been contaminated with asbestos. what it can lead to cancer when you inhale repeatedly.
But Canada-based Dynacare expanded the recall to more lots of its 14oz and 4oz bottles β which it suspects may also be affected.
No illnesses or side effects have been reported so far, but parents have been advised to stop using the product and return it to the sellers for a full refund.
It comes amid several lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson over their talcum powder containing asbestos.
Dynacare’s baby powder, sold on Amazon, is being recalled amid fears it may be contaminated with asbestos
A total of 35 states are now included in the Dynacare recall, up from 13 in the original warning β including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
The recalled bottles have been sold in the US since January this year and have a unique batch number printed on the bottom – which one can be viewed here.
A total of 31,056 4-oz bottles of the powder have been recalled, in addition to an additional 8,952 14-oz bottles.
The first recall, unveiled late last month, recalled 1,500 14oz bottles.
Dynacare baby powder contains talc that is extracted via mining and ground into a water-absorbing powder.
However, talc deposits are often found near asbestos deposits, a naturally occurring mineral.
The FDA said in its recall that if talc mine sites are not carefully selected or if efforts are not made to purify talc after it is mined, the talc may be contaminated with asbestos.
After using the powder at home, small asbestos particles can remain in the air and then be inhaled by the adult using the powder or by the child.
These can then become lodged in the tissue of the lungs, where they cause inflammation and irritation of the tissue, causing harmful mutations in nearby cells.
Another 40,000 bottles have been added to the recall, sold in the US as of January this year
The recalled bottles have the batch and lot number printed on the bottom, as shown above
Over time, this can cause cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is linked to asbestos exposure.
The recall is eerily reminiscent of Johnson and Johnson’s own legal troubles, amid accusations that their baby powder contained asbestos and caused cancer.
The company is offering an $8 billion settlement to more than 50,000 people suing over the reported contamination.
It has already lost a number of lawsuits, including $4.5 million to the family of mother-of-six Theresa Garcia, who died at age 53 from an asebstos-related cancer after decades of using the powder.
Johnson and Johnson have now discontinued their talc-based baby powder and replaced it with a powder that uses cornstarch.
In its notice, the FDA said: βThe recall was the result of a routine FDA sampling program, which revealed that the finished products contained asbestos.
‘On further investigation we identified further products that may contain asbestos as they use the same talc material in bulk.
“The company has halted distribution of the product as an investigation into the cause of the talc contamination is ongoing.”
States where the product is being recalled are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska , New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.