Johnson & Johnson sunscreen recall leads CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid to halt sales of Neutrogena, Aveeno
CVS is also pulling some of its own brands as a precautionary measure
CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens are halting the sale of certain Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreen after Johnson & Johnson (J&J) recalled the products due to traces of a cancer-causing chemical.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVS | CVS HEALTH CORP. | 55.26 | -1.21 | -2.14% |
| RAD | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
The major pharmacy chains confirmed to FOX Business Thursday that they are cooperating with J&J's voluntary recall of five of its sunscreen products after some samples were found to contain low levels of benzene.
The chemical, "could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure," according to the Food and Drug Administration.
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JNJ | JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 150.85 | -0.37 | -0.24% |
| WBA | WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC. | 18.13 | +0.01 | +0.06% |
Out of an abundance of caution, CVS also halted the sale of CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera and CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera Spray and is working with its supplier "to take appropriate additional steps," a CVS spokesperson said in a statement.
CVS said it's committed to "ensuring the products we offer are safe, work as intended, comply with regulations and satisfy customers," the statement continued.
Likewise, a Rite Aid spokesperson confirmed the chain is in the process of "removing impacted products from shelves."
Walgreens is also following suit, according to a company spokesperson.
"We instructed stores to remove the Johnson & Johnson products from our store shelves nationwide," a Walgreens spokesperson told FOX Business. "As an added safety measure, there is also a process in place to stop the sale of these items at checkout."
JOHNSON & JOHNSON RECALLS SEVERAL AEROSOL SUNSCREEN PRODUCTS AFTER DETECTING CANCER-CAUSING AGENT
The affected products, packaged in aerosol cans, are Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen, and four Neutrogena sunscreen versions: Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen, CoolDry Sport aerosol sunscreen, Invisible Daily Defense aerosol sunscreen and UltraSheer aerosol sunscreen.
The health care giant said the benzene was found after testing by the company and an independent laboratory.
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J&J is investigating how the chemical got into the products which were shipped nationwide and is working to get all lots of the five products removed from store shelves.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.