Makers of natural and organic products, W.S. Badger Company is voluntarily recalling select batches of its baby sunscreen lotions over fears of infection due to microbial contamination.
The According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA), the New Hampshire Company is pulling 30 thousand tubes of sunscreens from store shelves after various tests detected Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Candida parapsilosis and Acremonium fungi contaminates.
The recall applies exclusively to all bottles of Badger’s 4-ounce SPF 30 Baby Sunscreen Lotion and one group of Badger 4-ounce SPF 30 Kids’ Sunscreen Lotion.
Badger Founder & CEO Bill Whyte stated, “As a father and grandfather, the safety and well-being of children is my highest priority. All of these lots passed the required microbiological and comprehensive challenge testing prior to sale. It was during routine re-testing that we discovered that the preservative system in several lots had been compromised. In our 18-year history, this voluntary recall is a first. We continue to conduct rigorous testing and are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future.”
Product affected by recall
No one has reported any adverse events linked to the baby sunscreen products and the recall issued by the firm is a precautionary measure.
The products affected by the call back are SPF 30 Baby Sunscreen Lotion tubes with UPC codes 34084490091 and 634084490114. These are in lot numbers 3024A, 3057B, 3063A, 3063B, 3132A, and 3133A. The items in the kids’ sunscreen batch include tubes with UPC codes: 634084490145 and 634084490169 are affected. These are in lot numbers 3164A.
The sunscreen lotions are sold online and at major retailers as well as at pharmacies and food co-ops in the US and across Canada. Health regulators are urging the public not to use the affected products and return them to the place of purchase for a complete refund.
In addition, consumers can get in touch with the company by calling toll-free at 1-800-603-6100 or send an email to recalls@badgerbalm.com between the hours of 8:30-4:30 EDT, M-F. Moreover, incidents of any reactions from sunscreens should be reported to the health regulators.
“We are already reformulating all products in question for improved shelf-life stability for next year’s sunscreen season,” company spokeswoman Deirdre Fitzgerald said in a statement.
