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Australia; VIC
Media release
From:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ (aerosol sunscreen)
Recall - Possible presence of benzene
Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Ltd is recalling all batches of Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ (aerosol sunscreen), AUST L 202301, because benzene has been detected in some batches supplied in Australia.
What should I do?
All batches with an expiry date of 30th August 2023 or earlier should not be used due to possible health risks linked to benzene.
Consumers should discard the products and visit the www.neutrogena.com.au(link is external) website to request a refund.
All unsold product will be removed from the market.
What is benzene and what are the risks?
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure. It is not an ingredient in this product but is sometimes used in medicine manufacturing processes.
The TGA has limits on these types of solvents and benzene must be below a concentration of 2 parts per million (ppm) in medicines. This includes sunscreen products that are listed medicines in Australia.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc product testing detected benzene at concentrations less than 3 ppm in 2 of the 17 batches supplied in Australia. Exposure to benzene in this sunscreen product, at the levels detected, would not be expected to cause serious adverse health effects, but to reduce the risk to consumers, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Ltd is recalling all batches of the affected product supplied within Australia.
If you have any concerns or questions about this issue, speak to your health professional or contact the Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Ltd Consumer Care Centre on 1800 789 348.
Reporting problems
Consumers and health professionals are encouraged to report problems with medicines or vaccines. Your report will contribute to the TGA's monitoring of these products.
The TGA cannot give advice about an individual's medical condition. You are strongly encouraged to talk with a health professional if you are concerned about a possible adverse event associated with a therapeutic good.
- Category:Alert/Advisory
- URL:https://www.tga.gov.au/node/938928
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Professor Ian Rae is an expert on chemicals in the environment from the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne. He was also an advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme on chemicals in the environment and is former President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
I think it is in the best interest of the company to recall the Neutragena Sunscreen Spray. The concentration of benzene is very low, and the company is correct in observing that risk to consumers is very small. Nobody likes to think they are using risky products so It will be reassuring to consumers to know that company is acting prudently.
It's likely that benzene was used in production of one of the many constituents that make up a product like a sunscreen, and came along with that constituent as an impurity, rather than being added by Johnson & Johnson. Now that they are on the alert it should be easy to avoid a repeat of the mistake.
Oliver Jones is Professor of Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia
This headline might sound scary at first, but in my view it actually shows Australian regulations are working; a potential issue has been detected and corrective action taken quickly.
It might also help to keep in mind that parts per million (ppm) is an expression of concentration, not an absolute amount. In other words, it tells us how much of something is in a larger amount of something else. Two parts per million (2 ppm) means that for every million parts of a mixture (in this case the sunscreen spray) as a whole, there are two parts of the substance being measured (in this case Benzene). Put another way, 1ppm is also roughly equivalent to one minute out of two years. In this case the level of Benzene detected was between two and three ppm when it should be less than two ppm. So a very tiny difference.
People should not worry even if they have used the affected product. Only two out of 17 batches were affected so the chances of even being exposed are very low in the first place. Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly and 3ppm for a short period of time is not enough to cause serious effects.
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