Johnson & Johnson Recalls Baby Powder After FDA Finds Traces Of Asbestos

On Friday, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would be participating in a voluntary recall of a single lot of its popular baby powder sold at certain locations across the United States. The recall was announced after a trace amount of a dangerous substance had been found in an FDA examination of the baby power.

According to a press release the New Brunswick, New Jersey, company sent out on Friday morning, Johnson & Johnson elected to recall Lot #22318RB of Johnson’s Baby Powder after trace amounts of chrysotile asbestos contamination were found in a single bottle from that lot sold by an unidentified online retailer last year.

In the statement, the well-known brand ensured its consumers that it regularly tests its products for the dangerous mineral and insisted that recent tests showed that its talc products, like baby powder, do not contain the substance.

“JJCI has a rigorous testing standard in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing, including the FDA’s own testing on prior occasions — and as recently as last month — found no asbestos. Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos.”

Johnson & Johnson said they are unable to confirm whether any potential cross-contamination could have caused a false positive, whether the sample had been retrieved from a bottle that had been sealed, or whether the baby powder sample was “prepared in a controlled environment.” It also could not confirm whether the product tested was authentic Johnson & Johnson baby powder.

Still, consumers who use the baby powder should check the bottle to see if it comes from the affected lot number. If it does, the company urges consumers to immediately discontinue use of the powder and to contact the company for a refund.

While consumer recalls are not entirely uncommon, the Friday recall from Johnson & Johnson might be particular unnerving for parents of young children because, while baby powder has a variety of uses, it is most commonly applied to the skin of babies and young children.

As The Inquisitr reported last month, consumers were urged to steer clear of certain seafood products from Kroger after multiple cases of scombroid poisoning were reported. In that case, the danger was with the company’s yellowfin tuna steaks, which it pulled from shelves and urged consumers to avoid eating if they already purchased them.

Johnson & Johnson manufactures a myriad baby products according to its website, which include shampoos, bubble bath, oils, soaps, lotions, and of course, baby powder.