Several major retailers in the United States, including Walmart and Target, have removed Johnson & Johnson's baby powder from their stores following the company's announcement last week that it was recalling 33,000 bottles due to asbestos concerns.
The company had said that the recall was initiated in response to a US Food and Drug Administration test that found low levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination in samples from a bottle purchased online, reported CNN.
"We pulled every bottle linked to that UPC that was assigned to that lot," said Erin Hulliberger, a Walmart spokesperson. "The only action we've taken is with products impacted by the Johnson & Johnson recall."
Johnson & Johnson has said that it has launched an investigation and is "working with the FDA to determine the integrity of the tested sample, and the validity of the test results." (ANI)
The recall was the latest blow to the more than 130-year-old company, which is facing several other lawsuits over some of its other products. Last year in May, a California jury delivered a USD 25.75 million verdict against the company saying it was negligent and did not warn consumers about possible health risks from its baby powder.