An additional 40,000 bottles of baby powder, sold in 35 states and online via Amazon, have been recalled due to potential asbestos contamination, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced.
The FDA announced earlier this week that Dynarex Corporation has expanded its original recall of 62 cases from September to include a further 373 cases of its 14 oz. Dynacare Baby Powder bottles and 647 cases of the 4 oz. bottles.
The 14 oz. bottles are packaged in cases of 24, while the 4 oz. bottles come in cases of 48, bringing the total number of baby powder bottles recalled to over 40,000.
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“The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the FDA, which revealed that the finished products contained asbestos,” the FDA said.
“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,” they added.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is often found near talc, an ingredient in many cosmetic products, including baby powder.
However, asbestos is known carcinogen when inhaled – according to the World Health Organization, exposure to the substance can cause cancer of the lung, larynx and ovaries, as well as chronic lung conditions.
“If talc mining sites are not carefully chosen or if proper steps are not taken to adequately purify the talc ore, it may contain asbestos,” the FDA said.
According to the FDA, the product has been sold in stores across the country as well as online via Amazon.
States not named in the recall include: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
No related illnesses or reactions have been reported to the FDA as of Monday, however they advise anyone who has purchased any of the recalled batches of the product to stop using it and request a refund.
