E-Groups want “toxic tubs” cleaned up

Friday May 29, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- When the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 48 products earlier this year, they found 61 percent contained toxic levels of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, both known carcinogens.

The items tested? Baby bath products.

Their report, “No More Toxic Tub,” was taken to the web and months later nearly 50 groups representing about 1.7 million members of health, consumer and environmental groups had signed to protest.

Last Friday the Campaign sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson, makers of baby shampoo and other baby care products, asking them to remove the chemicals suspected of causing cancer.

Both 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde are considered probable human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s the amount of the chemicals in products that causes the disagreements.

When Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo was tested by an independent lab it was found to have 210 parts per million of formaldehyde, according to the AP report.

J&J spokesman Bill Price said, “The trace levels of certain compounds that were noted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacterial growth. Many regulatory agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe,” according to the AP.

“There’s really no excuse for a baby shampoo marketed as the number one choice of hospitals to contain chemicals suspected of causing cancer,” said Lisa Archer, the Campaign’s national coordinator, in an AP interview.

The group’s website states that while a single product may not be cause for concern, babies may be exposed to several products, several times a week as well as other chemical exposures in the home.

“Those small exposures add up and may contribute to later life disease,” according to the site.

The reason the two chemicals aren’t listed on the labels of the products is that they are considered contaminants and not ingredients.

To date, said the Campaign, there are no regulatory standards that limit either of the chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States.

“There are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up, but for now it’s up to consumers to consider carefully before they buy,” according to the group’s website.

(By Sheilah Downey, and edited by Heather Kelley)