Beware! Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo samples found with cancer-causing substance; here's what company has to say

US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has once again come under the scanner after it's baby shampoo failed the quality tests conducted by Rajasthan’s drug inspector.

Two batches of the shampoo have been found to be contaminated with formaldehyde. (Getty Image)

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has once again come under the scanner

Johnson & Johnson’s ‘No More Tears’ baby shampoo samples were not of standard quality

New Delhi: US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has once again come under the scanner after it's baby shampoo failed the quality tests conducted by Rajasthan’s drug inspector. The state’s drug watchdog has recently claimed that Johnson & Johnson’s ‘No More Tears’ baby shampoo samples were not of standard quality and were found containing harmful substances. According to a notice released by the Rajasthan drug controller on Sunday, two batches of the shampoo have been found to be contaminated with formaldehyde. The samples were then sent to authorities across the country. Formaldehyde has been identified as a carcinogen, which is a substance that promotes the formation of cancer in the body. Both batches of the shampoo were manufactured at Johnson & Johnson’s facility at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. The healthcare conglomerate had suffered a massive setback in December 2018, when a report from news agency Reuters claimed that there were traces of asbestos, a carcinogen, in its baby powder. However, the company has rejected the claims made by drug inspector. A J&J spokeswoman said that the results it received from the watchdog indicated that formaldehyde had been discovered in the samples. Formaldehyde, used in making building materials, is a known carcinogen. “We do not accept the interim results given to us, which mentioned samples to 'contain harmful ingredients- identification positive for formaldehyde,” she told Reuters. In 2014, the company had restructured the shampoo and dozens of other products after several consumers raised concerns about the presence of formaldehyde and another potentially harmful substance, 1,4-dioxane. Johnson & Johnson had suffered a huge setback in December last year, after a report alleged that there were traces of asbestos, a carcinogen, in its baby powder. In India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) ordered the company to stop manufacturing its baby powders using raw materials until further tests proved it was asbestos-free, two days after the Reuters report was published. According to a January 2014 report in The New York Times, the j&J assured at the time that “the products no longer contain the two potentially harmful chemicals, formaldehyde, and 1,4-dioxane, that have come under increasing scrutiny by consumers and environmental groups”. Johnson & Johnson baby care products which includes talcum powder, shampoo, baby oil and others is one of the most recognised foreign brands in the country. The company leads sales in the Indian baby and child toiletries market.

Published at : 01 Apr 2019 09:31 PM (IST)

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