More than 40,000 bottles of a baby powder sold on Amazon have been recalled over fears they could be laced with cancer-causing asbestos.
The product was first pulled in September after the FDA said its product may be tainted with asbestos, which can lead to cancer if breathed in repeatedly.
But Canada-based Dynacare expanded the recall to more lots of its 14oz and 4oz bottles — which it suspects may also be affected.
No illnesses or adverse events have been reported to date, but parents have been advised to stop using the product and return it to sellers for a full refund.
It comes amid several lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson over its talc powder containing asbestos.
Dynacare’s baby powder, sold on Amazon, is being recalled over fears it may be contaminated with asbestos
A total of 35 states are now included in Dynacare’s recall, up from the 13 included in the initial alert — including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
The recalled bottles were sold in the US since January this year, and have a unique batch number printed on the bottom — which can be viewed here.
A total of 31,056 4oz bottles of the powder have been recalled, alongside another 8,952 14oz bottles.
In the initial recall revealed late last month, 1,500 14oz bottles were recalled.
Dynacare baby powder contains talc which is extracted via mining and crushed into a water-absorbent powder.
Deposits of talc are often found near deposits of asbestos, however, which is a naturally occurring mineral.
The FDA said in its recall notice that if talc mining sites are not selected carefully or if efforts are not made to purify talc once it is extracted, then the talc may be contaminated with asbestos.
After using the powder at home, tiny asbestos particles can become suspended in the air and then be breathed in by either the adult using the powder or the infant.
These can then become wedged in the tissue of the lungs, where they trigger inflammation and irritation to the tissue — causing damaging mutations in nearby cells.
Another 40,000 bottles have been added to the recall, which were sold in the US from January this year
The recalled bottles have their batch and lot number printed on the bottom, as shown above
Over time, this can trigger cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs that is linked to asbestos exposure.
The recall is eerily reminiscent of Johnson and Johnson’s own legal troubles amid allegations that its baby powder contained asbestos and had caused cancers.
The company is offering an $8billion settlement to more than 50,000 people suing over the reported contamination.
It has already lost a number of court cases, including $4.5million to the family of mother-of-six Theresa Garcia who died at the age of 53 years from an asebstos-linked cancer after using the powder for decades.
Johnson and Johnson has now discontinued its talc-based baby powder, and replaced it with a powder that uses cornstarch.
In its notice, the FDA said: ‘The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the FDA, which revealed that the finished products contained asbestos.
‘Upon further investigation, we have identified additional lots of products that may contain asbestos due to using the same bulk talc material.
‘The company has ceased the distribution of the product as an investigation is proceeding to determine what caused the contamination of the talc.’
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.
