China's drug watchdog said Friday baby bath products produced by Johnson & Johnson it tested "will not present a hazard to consumers if they are used properly according to product directions."
Citing its latest test results, the State Food and Drug Administration said on its Web site the products were safe considering the levels of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane contained.
A safety assessment group had sample tested baby bath products and in the domestic market -- including those of health care producer Johnson & Johnson.
The group of more than 10 experts on toxicology, dermatosis, cosmetics technology, and chemical testing had also tested products which included shampoo, body wash, hand sanitizer and detergents, all of which tend to contain higher levels of 1,4-dioxane.
The level of formaldehyde in the tested products was far lower than the maximum concentration of 2,000 ppm allowed by China's cosmetics sanitation criteria, said the administration, adding that the products were safe if used properly.
Ppm is a unit of concentration which represents one out of a million.
Some cosmetics tested were found to contain a slight amount of 1,4-dioxane, a substance prohibited in cosmetics in China, the administration said. But it did not give the exact amount.
The expert group said, however, cosmetics might be contaminated by 1,4-dioxane during processing due to "technological reasons."
After assessing the safety of products detected with the highest level of 1,4-dioxane, the group concluded that these products "will not present a hazard to consumers if they are used properly according to product directions."
A report of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China's top quality watchdog, said last month the products were "healthy and safe," as only 1 batch of 31 batches of 26 Johnson & Johnson's baby products tested contained a small amount -- 3.27 ppm -- of 1,4-dioxane.
On March 12, a non-profit U.S. organization, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, issued test results on 48 Johnson & Johnson's baby products, including body wash, shampoo and soaps. Of the 48 tested products, 23 contained potential carcinogens.
Those contaminated products were alleged to contain formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. The chemicals were said to be found in top brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Mustela and Procter & Gamble.
The report raised concerns over the safety of Johnson & Johnson's baby products. Some Chinese supermarkets had pulled some of the products from their shelves.
(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2009)
