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Troubles Haven’t Ended For Johnson & Johnson: Baby Shampoo Fails Watchdog’s Quality Tests
J&J’s baby shampoo (Photo from Johnson and Johnson website)
American healthcare giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has come under the scanner of Indian regulators after its baby shampoo failed quality tests conducted by the Drugs Control Organisation of Rajasthan, reports LiveMint.
The report cited people in the know of the matter as saying that the shampoo samples revealed presence of Formaldehyde, which is a cancer causing chemical. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reportedly classifies formaldehyde as a human carcinogen (substance capable of causing cancer).
Under the consumer pressure, J&J had reportedly claimed to have removed the potentially harmful chemical in 2014.
According to the report, labelling some samples of J&J’s baby shampoo as “not of standard quality”, the state’s drug regulatory body has said the product contains “harmful ingredients”.
The Drugs Control Organisation, in a 5 March letter, had asked state drug controllers across India to withdraw available stocks of J&J’s baby shampoo from the market to ensure no more usage of the product.
“The samples of cosmetics contain harmful ingredients," according to the report of samples tested between 16 and 28 February, as reported by Mint.
The baby shampoo is manufactured at Johnson & Johnson Private Limited’s plant at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.
“The samples failed the quality tests. The company will have to reply after which action will be taken as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act," said a senior official in the Drugs Control Organisation in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the company said J&J’s products are “safe”. “We have contested the interim test results of the government analysis that were based on unknown and unspecified methods. The government did not disclose the test methods, details or any quantitative findings. This is concerning especially when there is no prescribed test method or requirement for testing formaldehyde in shampoo under the applicable standards," the spokesperson was quoted in the report as saying.
The spokesperson added that the samples have been sent for re-testing.
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