Banana Boat sunscreen expands recall over concerns about benzene
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The company behind Banana Boat sunscreen has expanded a voluntary nationwide recall of some of its products.
Edgewell Personal Care Company has now recalled an additional of 6-ounce Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 aerosol sprays. Three batches were recalled July 29 of last year.
A review of the products determined some samples had trace levels of benzene.
The recalled products are as follows:
Lot Code Expiration Date
20016AF December 2022
20084BF February 2023
21139AF April 2024
20301CF September 2023
The Food and Drug Administration classifies benzene as a carcinogen. Exposure can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin – and it can result in cancers such as leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow, as well as blood disorders that can be life-threatening.
While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat product, the review showed that unexpected levels of it came from the propellant used to spray the sunscreen out of the can.
The company said no other batches or products are being recalled.
People should take the benzene-related recalls seriously, as they involve a far more dangerous contaminant than most, according to David Light, CEO of Valisure, an independent lab in New Haven, Connecticut, that alerted the Food and Drug Administration to its findings of benzene in sunscreen sprays last year.
Aerosol-type products are more at risk of containing benzene than the general sphere of consumer products, as are petroleum-derived products such as gels, lotions, creams, and sunscreens.
