Benzene Contamination Prompts Recall of Aerosol Spray Antiperspirants

Summary

Company Announcement Date:
November 23, 2021
FDA Publish Date:
November 23, 2021
Product Type:
Cosmetics
Drugs
Reason for Announcement:
Due to the presence of benzene
Company Name:
The Proctor & Gamble Company
Brand Name:
Old Spice
Secret
Product Description:
Old Spice and Secret Aerosol Sprays

Company Announcement

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is voluntarily recalling all lots with expiry through September 2023 of specific Old Spice and Secret aerosol spray antiperspirants and Old Spice Below Deck aerosol spray products sold in the United States, and listed in the table below, to the consumer level due to the presence of benzene detected.

Risk Statement: Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen. Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life-threatening. Based on exposure modeling and the cancer risk assessments published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (IRIS database), daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences. Benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources. To date, The Procter & Gamble Company has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall and is conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution.

The affected products are used as antiperspirants and hygiene products and are packaged in aerosol cans. See table below for Product names and UPC codes and images for further descriptions. We are recalling all lots with expiry through September 2023 of the below products:

UPC Description
012044001912 Old Spice High Endurance AP Spray Pure Sport 12/6oz
012044044759 Old Spice Hardest Working Collection Inv Spray Stronger Swagger 3.8oz
037000729747 Old Spice Hardest Working Collection Inv Spray Pure Sport Plus 12/3.8oz
037000730347 Old Spice Hardest Working Collection Inv Spray Stronger Swagger 12/3.8oz
037000749479 Old Spice Hardest Working Collection Inv Spray Ult Captain 12/3.8oz
037000695714 Old Spice Below Deck Powder Spray Unscented 12/4.9oz
037000695707 Old Spice Below Deck Powder Spray Fresh Air 12/4.9oz
037000586906 Secret Aerosol Powder Fresh Twin Pack
037000711087 Secret Aerosol Powder Fresh 12/6OZ
037000711094 Secret Aerosol Powder Fresh 12/4OZ
037000723721 Secret Fresh Collection Inv Spray Waterlily 3.8oz
037000729860 Secret Fresh Collection Inv Spray Lavender 12/3.8oz
037000729914 Secret Fresh Collection Inv Spray Water Lily 12/3.8oz
037000729921 Secret Fresh Collection Inv Spray Light Essentials 12/3.8oz
037000798842 Secret Fresh Collection Inv Spray Rose 12/3.8oz
037000747642 Secret Outlast Inv Spray Completely Clean 12/3.8oz
037000747727 Secret Outlast Inv Spray Protecting Powder 12/3.8oz
012044048535 Old Spice Pure Sport 2021 Gift Set

The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States through retail outlets and online. All other Old Spice and Secret products are not impacted by this issue and may continue to be used as intended. This represents the vast majority of our products, including body spray products, solid sticks, soft solids and gel antiperspirants and deodorant products.

The Procter & Gamble Company has notified its retailers to remove products from shelves. Old Spice and Secret will also offer reimbursement for consumers who have purchased products impacted by this recall. Consumers should stop using and appropriately discard the affected aerosol spray products.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can seek more information via the Consumer Care team at 888-339-7689 from Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 6:00pm EST. Consumers can also visit www.oldspice.comExternal Link Disclaimer or www.secret.comExternal Link Disclaimer for more information about the impacted products and to learn how to receive reimbursement for eligible products. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these products.

Read the full report here.

As published on Healthyexaminer.com.