Unilever Adds to Growing List of U.S. Products Recalled Due to Benzene

Unilever issued a voluntary recall of dry shampoo aerosol produced before October 2021 and sold nationwide because they may contain benzene, a human carcinogen.

New Jersey-based Unilever U.S. said the list of products include those from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé. Retailers were notified to remove recalled products from shelves, the company said.

Unilever said an internal investigation found that the propellant was the source, and the company has worked with its propellant suppliers to address the issue.

“Based on an independent health hazard evaluation, daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences,” said a notice from Unilever. “Unilever U.S. is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution. Unilever has received no reports of adverse events to date relating to this recall.”

The presence of benzene has prompted the recall of a number of products in recent years. About a year ago, Proctor & Gamble added a recall of aerosol dry conditioner and shampoo spray products from Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, and Waterless to its previously discontinued aerosol dry shampoo products from Old Spice and Hair Food.

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Earlier in 2021, Johnson & Johnson recalled all lots of five Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen product lines after testing identified low levels of benzene in some samples. Consumers were urged to discontinue use of the affected products. Other recent recalls related to benzene include Blistex’s Odor-Eaters and Bayer’s Lotrimin AF and Tinactin spray products. Since April 2021, there have been 14 recalls due at least in part to the presence of benzene.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said benzene exists from natural processes and human activities. It is used by some industries to make other chemicals that are used to produce plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers. Benzene is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides, the CDC said.

Topics USA