Unilever Issues Voluntary U.S. Recall of Select Dry Shampoos Due to Potential Presence of Benzene - 11/1/22
Company Announcement Date:
October 18, 2022
FDA Publish Date:
October 21, 2022
Product Type:
Cosmetics
Hair Products
Reason for Announcement:
Product Safety/Unapproved Ingredient
Company Name:
Unilever
Brand Name:
Dove, Nexxus, Suave, and others
Product Description:
Dry Shampoo Aerosol
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 18, 2022 – Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey – Unilever United States today issued a voluntary product recall to the consumer level of select lot codes of dry shampoo aerosol products produced prior to October 2021 from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé due to potentially elevated levels of benzene.
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. Benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources.
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. 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 recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States. Retailers have been notified to remove recalled products from shelves.
A complete list of the affected products produced prior to October 2021 and consumer UPC codes is provided below and can be found hereExternal Link Disclaimer. No other products from Unilever or its brands are impacted by this recall.
An internal investigation identified the propellant as the source, and Unilever has worked with its propellant suppliers to address this issue.
Consumers should stop using the affected aerosol dry shampoo products and visit UnileverRecall.com for instructions on how to receive reimbursement for eligible products. If consumers have further questions, they may also contact Unilever U.S. by calling (877) 270-7412, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
- Complete and submit the report Online:fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
- Regular Mail or Fax:Download form fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
______________________________________________________________________________
* We believe that none of the product being recalled were processed or offered through the national office
* We strongly encourage you to notify your agencies within one business day from receipt of this notice.
* ALL cased and uncased inventories, both at the member level and agency level, need to be checked. This product may have entered member and agency warehouses through salvage, local donations, TEFAP, local purchases, retail pickups, food drives, or other avenues.
* For additional local details, please contact the Health Department(s) for the area(s) your food bank serves.
_____________________________________________________________________________
About Feeding America Recall Notices
The Feeding America national office issues notifications of all national Class I and II recalls–those involving a health hazard situation in which there is reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death–and other recalls that may affect the safety of food supplied to network members.
The national office strongly encourages all member product solicitors, operations managers, and others involved in food and grocery distribution to regularly consult resources provided by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp. Additionally, members can often receive information on national, state, and local recalls by contacting their local health departments.
Feeding America National Office
Feeding America
161 N Clark, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601