Know why National Child Rights Body has directed State's and UT's to stop sale of J&J Baby Shampoo?

April 27,2019:

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories asking them to stop sale of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo in their respective states.

They have been directed to remove the product from the stock of the shops in view of the findings of the sample testing report from the Rajasthan drug control officer.

Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo has come under regulatory lens with the samples of the product collected in Rajasthan showing presence of “harmful ingredients" that may cause cancer.

NCPCR in its order recommends that the sale of the product may be stopped till further notice.

In taking its decision, NCPCR took note of a Rajasthan Government report and results quoted of the Government Analyst Drug Testing Laboratory in Jaipur which found samples of J&J baby shampoo “not of standard quality as presence of formaldehyde was confirmed”. The Centre had put the product under scrutiny based on the Rajasthan state drug controller's report, official sources said.

The child rights body has also asked the Drug Control Organisation Rajasthan to send the test report of Johnson & Johnson’s baby talcum powder at the earliest.

Recommendations come as a follow-up to a hearing held on April 15 on the summons issued in the matter to five states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam and Andhra Pradesh. The summons were over no response to repeated letters on status of sample tests sought to settle the safety concerns raised regarding use of Johnson & Johnson baby care products -specifically its talcum powder and shampoo.

Johnson & Johnson has maintained that the shampoo was safe and in compliance with the regulatory standards.

Source TOI