FILE: Procter & Gamble Co. corporate headquarters is seen in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Procter & Gamble Company has issued a voluntary recall of several dry conditioner and shampoo products after benzene was detected during testing.
The recall includes P&G labels Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, and Waterless.
They were produced in the United States and sold across the country at retail outlets as well as online.
“Based on exposure modeling and the cancer risk assessments published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (IRIS database),” a statement from Procter & Gamble 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.
“To date, The Procter & Gamble Company has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall and is conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution.”
The company reports it had previously discontinued aerosol dry shampoo products from Old Spice and Hair Food.
Procter & Gamble said that they began a review of their aerosol products after reports that indicated “traces of Benzene” in some aerosol products.
They determined that “unexpected levels” of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.
The products come in aerosol cans. By checking this table, you can find the product names, as well as UPC and production code ranges of the affected products.
The production code details are on the bottom of the can. The first four numbers of the production code are what consumers should check to determine if they have purchased a product that may be impacted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Benzene is a colorless chemical that has a sweet odor. It is classified as a human carcinogen and is highly flammable.
Volcanoes and forest fires create Benzene. Human activities associated with Benzene include the creation of plastics, resins, some types of lubricants, dyes, detergents, and pesticides.
The CDC reports that a major source of exposure to Benzene is tobacco smoke.