Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Safety

J&J Recalls Tainted Tylenol

by Michael McCoy
January 25, 2010 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 88, Issue 4

After receiving a harsh warning letter from FDA, Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division has expanded its recall of over-the-counter drugs. The recall involves Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and other consumer products manufactured at a McNeil facility in Las Piedras, P.R. It follows consumer complaints of a musty, moldy, or mildewlike odor. McNeil says it has determined that the smell is caused by trace amounts of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, a chemical that can result from the breakdown of 2,4,6-tribromophenol, a pesticide and flame retardant used to treat wooden shipping pallets. The expanded recall, announced on Jan. 15, follows more limited ones in November and December, both related to the same unusual smell. The FDA warning letter takes McNeil to task for not acting more quickly to determine the root cause of the odor after it first started receiving complaints in 2008. “We are aware of the complaint information available to your company, the sequence of events, and the extent of your firm’s follow-up measures during this period,” the letter states. “We have concluded that your company did not conduct a timely, comprehensive investigation.”

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.