A popular brand of sunscreen is being recalled after traces of the chemical benzene were found in some batches.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued the alert for the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ aerosol sunscreen, owned by Johnson & Johnson.
All batches with an expiry date of August 30, 2023, or earlier should not be used due to possible health risks linked to benzene, the TGA says.
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Consumers should discard the products and seek a refund via the Neutrogena website.
All unsold product will be removed from the market.
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure, the TGA says.
It is not an ingredient in this product but is sometimes used in medicine manufacturing processes.
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The TGA has limits on these types of solvents and benzene must be below a concentration of two parts per million (ppm) in medicines.
This includes sunscreen products that are listed as medicines in Australia.
Johnson & Johnson product testing detected benzene at concentrations less than 3ppm in two of the 17 batches supplied in Australia.
Exposure to benzene in this sunscreen product, at the levels detected, would not be expected to cause serious adverse health effects, but to reduce the risk to consumers, Johnson & Johnson Pacific made the decision to recall all batches of the affected product supplied within Australia.
