Tylenol Bottles Recalled
Johnson & Johnson announced it is recalling 60,912 bottles of Tylenol due to a musty odor, according to McNeil Consumer Healthcare, one of J&J's companies. The strong odor is linked to possible gastrointestinal symptoms.
Trace amounts of a chemical known as 2, 4, 6-Tribonoanisole (TBA) have been identified as an environmental contaminant, which have been found in the offensive pills that were most likely produced from 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) by microbial activity, according to reports.
TBP is used as a fungicide and a wood preservative. This chemical is sometimes used on shipping pallets.
Recent news reports revealed the chemical also causes nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. The gastrointestinal problems are usually temporary and non-serious. According to McNeil, there have been no serious illnesses reported or hospitalizations.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare said consumers who bought the product from the lot being recalled should stop using it and contact the company on its website or by calling 888-222-6036.
In March 2011, the McNeil division of Johnson & Johnson recalled one lot, or 34,056 bottles, of Tylenol 8-Hour Extended Release caplets due to a musty odor.
In April 2011, the company issued a voluntary recall of 57,000 bottles of its epilepsy drug Topamax due to complaints of a foul odor associated with the tablets, as reported on WebMD.
All lots involved in the recall were produced before the January 15, 2010 recall, after which McNeil stopped accepting shipments of materials from its suppliers on that type of pallet, according to Tylenol’s website.
Over the past two years, over 100 million J & J products have been recalled. These products include: Motrin, Sudafed, and Benadryl on drugstore shelves. The recalls affect one lot (ABA619) of Tylenol pain killers and were made in February 2009.
