Children’s Tylenol, Motrin Have Been Recalled-Truth! But Outdated!
Summary of eRumor:
Social media posts claim that Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products for kids and infants have been recalled.
The Truth:
These social media posts lead back to an article from 2010 about Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products for kids being recalled, so the eRumor is outdated.
WebMD posted an advisory about the recall back in 2010. Five years later, many social media users linked to the 2010 article and warned parents to clean Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl out of their medicine cabinets.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare Inc. announced the voluntary recall back in 2010 because some of its over-the-counter liquid products for children and infants did not meet minimum quality standards, the FDA reports:
“McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling all lots that have not yet expired of certain over-the-counter (OTC) Children’s and Infants’ liquid products manufactured in the United States and distributed in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait.
“McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.”
False alarm about the 2010 recall resurfaced in 2015 after McNeil Consumer Healthcare agreed to settle a lawsuit over the recall. The company agreed to a $25 million settlement because metal particles got into bottles of Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin, the Associated Press reports:
“Court documents say metal particles, including nickel, iron and chromium, were introduced during the manufacturing process. Prosecutors said McNeil failed to take immediate steps to fix the problem.”
The FDA confirmed that the old recall had reappeared in the news and warned consumers to visit www.fda.gov for current information on product recalls.