Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count with EZ-Open Cap Recalled Nationwide

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc, is voluntarily recalling all bottles of their Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count with the easy open cap. In November consumers reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a moldy, musty or mildew type odor in five lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 count pain reliever bottles. Consumers also reported to the FDA symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.

According to the FDA, the unusual odor consumers reported the Tylenol had is caused by trace amounts of the chemical 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), which is thought to come from the breakdown of the fungicide, 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) used to treat wooden pallets used for transporting and storing packing materials.

This is not the first time packaging, manufacturing and storage issues has caused Tylenol to voluntarily recall a product. In 2006 McNeil recalled children's Tylenol Meltaway and children's Tylenol SoftChews because of the blister package design of the children's pain reliever. September 2009 Tylenol also recalled 21 children's and infant's Tylenol liquid medications due to a potential bacteria contamination for the Tylenol products manufactured between April 2008 and June 2008.

TBA has been researched within the wine industry and was found to be a major pollutant that seeps into wine corks changing the smell and taste of wines. The health effects of TBA have not been adequately studied and all reported symptoms were not life threatening and were temporary. However, based on the research conducted within the wine industry about TBP treated wood breaking down into TBA and it's effect on the odor and taste of consumed products, McNeil-PPC, Inc may want to choose packaging materials not treated with TBP until enough studies have been conducted about the health risks associated with TBP and TBA.

For a complete list of all lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 count caplets being recalled please visit Tylenol's Important News page or visit the FDA's press release for the recall. If you have any questions the company contacts for McNeil-PPC, Inc are:

Marc Boston, 215-273-7649 and Bonnie Jacobs, 215-273-8994 for detailed information and statements

Or

Call 1-888-222-6036 to reach the consumer hotline for information about product disposal.

Sources

Hitti, M. (2005, June 03). Package Design Prompts Children's Tylenol Recall. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from FOXNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,158563,00.html

McNeil-PPC,Inc. (2009, December). Important News - Tylenol Arthtitis Pain 100 Count with EZ-Open Cap recalled. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from Tylenol.com: http://www.tylenol.com/page2.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subp_tar_recall.inc

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2009, December 28). Safety Recalls. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from U.S. Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm195690.htm

Yousuf, H. (2009, September 24). Tylenol Children's and Infant's Products Recalled. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from CNN Money: http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/24/news/companies/tylenol_recall/index.htm

Zoecklein, B. (2004, September 24). Enology Notes. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from Grape Chemistry Group at VA Tech: http://www.fst.vt.edu/extension/enology/EN/94.html