Benzene is a carcinogen that’s been found in potentially unsafe levels in 78 different sunscreens and after-care products. Valisure, an independent testing lab that checked chemical levels in the products and found the benzene, is asking the U.S. FDA to issue immediate recalls of all the products.
Valisure is also asking the FDA to conduct its own investigation as soon as possible. Earlier this year the company put the FDA on notice when it found benzene in some hand sanitizers. That action led to voluntary recalls of the affected products.
The company raised a similar alarm in 2018, when it found a possible cancer-causing chemical called NDMA in drugs with the active ingredient ranitidine, such as the over-the-counter heartburn product Zantac.
That motion resulted in both the FDA and other countries’ regulatory agencies issuing mandatory recalls of ranitidine-containing drugs. Valisure has a policy of safety-checking every product that it sells through its own pharmacy.
SOURCE: Gizmodo May 26, 2021