Motrin, Tylenol, Rolaids, Benedryl and St. Joseph’s Aspirin are being recalled today by Johnson & Johnson unit McNeil Consumer Healthcare because they may be tainted with a chemical that causes a moldy smell, and could cause stomach illness.
Any smell is likely the result of contamination with trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The source of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to be the breakdown of a chemical used to treat wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. The health effects of this compound have not been well studied, but McNeil said that so far, to date all of the reported adverse reactions have been temporary and non-serious. (more…)
