March 20th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

A report on American baby products showing that several contain trace amounts of chemicals listed as “probable carcinogens” by the EPA has triggered alarm bells in the U.S. and overseas.

Some 20,000 people reportedly responded to the study by contacting their representatives to ask for stronger regulation, and turns out China is quite concerned about these toxic additives coming their way from the U.S.

It’s not just about turn-about being fair play, MedIndia reports that Chinese parents are on “high alert” after the melamine-tainted milk scare that resulted in several infant deaths.

China and Vietnam are now conducting their own safety tests on some of the baby products that were identified as being contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde in an analysis by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The CSC targeted mainstream products marketed as “safe” and “gentle” and found that even the iconic Johnson’s Baby Shampoo tested positive for trace amounts of these toxins.

Some major Chinese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese retailers have pulled affected products from their shelves, including a supermarket chain in Ho Chi Minh City (see this report ) that was clearing out the Johnson & Johnson shampoo and bubble bath flagged by the CSC.

Manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, say the chemicals are safe in trace amounts, and end up in the lotion or shampoo either as a preservative or as part of the process used to make the products gentler. But advocates say they pose an unnecessary danger because many comparable beauty products do without them, in Europe in particular, where 1,4 dioxane is banned in personal care products.

Of 28 products tested for both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, 17 contained trace amounts of both.

For more see the No More Toxic Tub report, and our story.