More than 1,000 cases of Dynacare Baby Powder were recalled this week due to potential asbestos contamination, according to a notice published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
As of this Monday, no illnesses or adverse events linked to the products had been reported. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, is a naturally occurring mineral often found near talc, an ingredient often found in baby powder, including Dynacare .
According to the FDA, proper steps need to be taken to purify talc ore so it does not contain asbestos. Due to the risk of asbestos contamination associated with talc, Johnson & Johnson, another manufacturer of baby powder, announced that it would stop selling baby powder containing talc as of last year. It switched to a formulation based on corn starch, per the BMJ journal.
Before it made the announcement, Johnson & Johnson faced more than 40,000 lawsuits in the U.S. “alleging that baby powder contaminated with asbestos caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma,” said BMJ.
The Dynacare recall includes 373 cases of 14-ounce Dynacare Baby Powder (item number 4875) and 647 cases of 4-ounce Dynacare Baby Powder (item number 4874). Each case of the 14-ounce product included 24 bottles and each case of the 4-ounce product contained 48 bottles.
These products were sent to distributors in more than 30 states on or after Jan. 18 of this year. They were also sold via Amazon.com.
States that received the powder were: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
In September, Dynarex recalled 62 cases of item number 4875 due to asbestos contamination concerns and the further cases were recalled since they were made with the same bulk talc material. These recalls were the result of a routine sampling program by the FDA, the administration said. Sampling found that the finished products contained asbestos.
“The company has ceased the distribution of the product as an investigation is proceeding to determine what caused the contamination of the talc,” said the FDA. “Consumers who have purchased Dynacare Baby Powder… should discontinue use immediately and return it for a full refund.”
Lot numbers for the recalled products are available here.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the product and how to receive a full refund can contact Dynarex Corporation at 888-396-2739 or 845-365-8200 during business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET or send an email to recall@dynarex.com.
Additionally, health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse events to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. Forms are available online at MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form.