Staying Fit
Two sizes of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizers are being voluntarily recalled due to possible contamination with Pluralibacter gergoviae, a bacteria that poses a higher risk of infection to those with certain health problems, such as weakened immune systems.
Recalled Jergens lotions
The manufacturer, Kao USA Inc., said the recalled products were manufactured between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18, 2021, and sold in 3-ounce and 10-ounce sizes.
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If you have a 3-ounce bottle of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer ...
The affected lot codes for the 3-ounce size are printed on the back of the bottle: ZU712851, ZU712871, ZU712911, ZU722881, ZU71286, ZU712881, ZU722851, ZU722861 and ZU722871. The universal product codes (UPC) are 019100109971 for single bottles and 019100267114 for packs of 3.
If you have a 10-ounce bottle of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer ...
The 10-ounce bottles affected (UPC 019100109988) have these lot codes printed on the bottom: ZU722741, ZU722781, ZU732791, ZU732811, ZU722771, ZU732781, ZU732801 and ZU732821.
Some 3-ounce and 10-ounce bottles of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer have been recalled.
Courtesy FDA
Advice to consumers
Anyone who purchased these products should call Kao USA’s Consumer Care Center at 800-742-8798 to receive a free product coupon. The toll-free line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Consumers can also send an email to consumer@kao.com. A postage-paid label and plastic bag will be sent to consumers in the mail to return the product. Any adverse reactions from using the lotion may also be reported to Kao USA.
The manufacturer said the bacteria poses “little medical risk to healthy people,” and investigations are ongoing to determine the scope of the possible contamination. Kao USA also said it has removed recalled products from warehouses and alerted retailers to remove them from store shelves. A list of retailers stocking the recalled products wasn’t disclosed by Jergens’ manufacturer.
Negative reactions or quality issues resulting from use of the recalled moisturizer may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program in the following ways:
- Complete and submit a report online.
- Regular mail or fax: Download this form or call 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the preaddressed form, or submit by fax to 800-332-0178.
Editors note: This article, originally published March 21, 2022 has been updated to include the recall of lot codes ZU722861 and ZU722871.
Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English.
