Retest of baby shampoo shows absence of formaldehyde: J&J

Johnson & Johnson Monday said safety of its baby shampoo has been reaffirmed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's laboratories, which have confirmed that the product does not contain formaldehyde. According to the experts, formaldehyde can cause cancer in humans.

On March 5, 2019, the Rajasthan Drugs Control Organization had reported presence of formaldehyde in samples of two batches of baby shampoo manufactured by Johnson & Johnson in India. The company had rejected the finding and had said its products do not contain formaldehyde or any ingredient capable of releasing formaldehyde. It had questioned the Rajasthan drug controller's claim as well as the method of testing that led to the results.

Since J&J challenged the finding, the shampoo was sent to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's (CDSCO's) laboratories for re-testing, the company said in a statement. The report came after several weeks of testing at the central government laboratory after samples were picked up in India to test for presence of any harmful ingredients, it added.

"We are pleased with the conclusion of the Rajasthan FDA, which confirms that Johnson's Baby Shampoo does not contain formaldehyde," a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told PTI. The outcome reaffirms the company's own testing and the longstanding assurance it gave that its baby shampoo does not contain formaldehyde or any formaldehyde-releasing ingredients, she added.

"Importantly, this is the result of the appellate laboratory, following a magistrate court order for re-testing, and overrules an earlier test result that was erroneous," the spokesperson said. Nothing is more important to Johnson & Johnson than the safety of people who use its products, and the company's quality assurance process is rigorous - meeting or exceeding standards in every country where its products are sold, she added.

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