Popular Over-the-Counter Meds Being Recalled
A bad smell in containers has launched a massive recall of 54 million packages of 27 different over-the-counter remedies.
Some of the products on the recall list include various types of child and/or adult Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, St. Joseph Aspirin, Rolaids, and Simply Sleep. This recall is on the heels of the six million packages of Tylenol recalled late last year. The total of both recalled products is now 60 million.
According to a report on WebMD, products with the musty, moldy odor have sickened at least 70 people with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. On a more positive note, the symptoms reportedly go away by themselves and no one has been seriously injured.
WebMD is reporting that the FDA has said that Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Health Care knew of the problem for more than a year. When the company did act in November and December 2008, it did too little too late, said Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA's Office of Compliance.
Reports indicate that the odor comes from a chemical, 2,4,6-tribromoanisole or TBA, which is produced when fungi break down a commonly used fungicide called 2,4,6-tribromophenol. The full health effects of TBA are not known.
Before being filled with product, containers were stored on wooden pallets apparently treated with the fungicide where the TBA potentially contaminated the product containers before they were filled.
A complete list of the recalled products, including package sizes, product types, lot numbers, and UPC codes can be seen at www.mcneilproductrecall.com. Consumers with question can call McNeil at 888-222-6036.
Consumers who think they may have suffered ill effects from the products should contact the FDA at www.FDA.gov/medwatch.
Follow Technorati