P&G recalls body sprays sold in US after detecting cancer-causing chemical

Procter & Gamble (P&G), an American multinational consumer goods company, says it is voluntarily recalling some of its Old Spice and Secret aerosol antiperspirant sprays distributed in the US, after benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, was detected in the products.

This is according to a press statement released by the company recently.

The company, quoting the exposure modeling and the cancer risk assessments published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said “daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences”.

Also, P&G added that it had not received “any reports of adverse events related to this recall and is conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution”.

According to the company, it had informed retailers to stop selling the products and that anyone in possession of the sprays should dispose of them. A total of 18 products, including eight Old Spice items and 10 Secret sprays with an expiration date through September 2023 were recalled.

The company said customers who bought the products were eligible to apply to get a refund for their purchase on the Old Spice or Secret websites.

Procter & Gamble also said apart from the outlined products, its other products including body sprays, solid sticks, and gel antiperspirants, and deodorant products are not affected by the recall.

The company said customers could continue to use those items normally.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), benzene can be cancer-causing in humans. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause leukemia.

Earlier in the year, Johnson & Johnson recalled five aerosol sunscreen products, including four Neutrogena products and one Aveeno product, after discovering low amounts of benzene in the items.