Retailers pull Johnson’s baby powder after recall

Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid have pulled some or all 22-ounce bottles of Johnson’s baby powder from shelves to avoid confusing consumers, after a minuscule amount of asbestos was found in one bottle.

Johnson & Johnson recalled all 33,000 bottles from same lot as that bottle last Friday, a day after U.S. Food and Drug ministration tified company that routine testing discovered asbestos in one bottle bought from an online retailer. 22-ounce bottle came from a lot distributed in 2018.

Baby powder bottles in or sizes are still available from retailers.

recall comes as J&J is fighting thousands of lawsuits alleging talc in its iconic baby powder was contaminated with asbestos and gave plaintiffs ovarian cancer or mesolioma. company has insisted that tests of its product over 40 years have t found asbestos contamination.

Johnson & Johnson is working with FDA to investigate how asbestos got into single bottle, including wher it was tampered with. J&J vised consumers to stop using any bottles from lot, #22318RB.

“As a safeguard, we’ve pulled all 22-ounce bottles until Johnson & Johnson” finishes investigating, Rite Aid spokesman Chris Savarese said Friday, ding bottles were put in stor.

A Walmart spokeswoman said it h removed all 22-ounce bottles bearing same UPC barcode as recalled lot, but or 22-ounce bottles are still available.

Walmart and Rite Aid ted y set up computer system blocks to prevent customers from buying product in case any was still on a shelf.

CVS Health said it’s removed all 22-ounce bottles from both its pharmacies and CVS.com.

“This is a rmal protocol we follow out of an abundance of caution and to help prevent customer confusion in our stores,” CVS said in a statement.

It ded that customers who purchased product from a CVS pharmacy can return it for a refund.

Walgreen’s didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Follow Linda A. Johnson at https://twitter.com/LindaJ_onPharma