Kao USA recalls Jergens lotion over bacterial infection

Jergens, a brand known for its skincare line, has issued a voluntary recall on some of its products because of possible bacteria contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also released a notice for the recall.

Kao USA, Jergens' manufacturer, also asked customers to check if they have purchased either the 3-ounce or 10-ounce bottle of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer as they may have been contaminated with the harmful Pluralibacter gergoviae.

As per CNN Business, while the said type of bacterium usually poses just a little medical risk to healthy individuals, the FDA said that Pluralibacter gergoviae can still lead to infections in immunocompromised people. In fact, there are a number of consumer products that have also been recalled for the same bacterial contaminations.

The maker of Jergens lotion is now urging people to refrain from using the affected products as a precautionary measure. Based on the report, the recalled lotions are the Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizers that were made between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18, 2021.

Customers can also see if their lotions are affected by checking the lot codes that can be found at the back of the bottles. All the codes start with "ZU" and to be more precise, the lot codes for the 3-ounce bottles are ZU712851, ZU712871, ZU712911, ZU722881, ZU712861, ZU712881, and ZU722851. It should be noted that single bottles also have the UPC 019100109971 number and 019100267114 for a pack of 3.

For the 10-ounce bottles, the number is UPC 019100109988 with lot codes of ZU722741, ZU722781, ZU732791, ZU732811, ZU722771, ZU732781, ZU732801, and ZU732821. Kao USA told customers to immediately contact the company for a free replacement coupon if their product bears the mentioned codes.

The company also affirmed that all the affected lotions were already pulled out from its warehouses. Kao USA is also communicating with retail stores so they can immediately remove the items from their outlets as well.

"Further investigation to determine the scope of the issue is still ongoing," part of the US FDA's recall notice reads. "However, Kao USA Inc. promptly took the precautionary step of issuing a voluntary recall of the affected product by removing the product in question from warehouses, working with retailers to ensure the product is removed from store shelves, and proactively notifying consumers."