Natural sunscreen company issues recall of microbe-contaminated products

(http://www.usatoday.com) Badger, the maker of a natural sunscreen product, has issued a recall on about 30,000 tubes of sunscreen after tests found some to be contaminated with bacteria and fungi. The products initially passed testing, but routine quality checks later discovered three microbes, one of which was only found in one previously handled sample.

The company has issued the recall voluntarily and preemptively, as no reports of adverse events have been reported. Nonetheless, Badger CEO Bill Whyte has issued an apology regarding the problem and stated that the contaminants are "unlikely to cause problems except for in immune-compromised persons or for persons with severely damaged skin."

The company says the problems were caused by "preservative instability." A spokeswoman for the company, Deirdre Fitzgerald, said, "We are already reformulating all products in question for improved shelf-life stability for next year's sunscreen season."

The recalled products include:

• SPF 30 Baby Sunscreen Lotion tubes with UPC codes of 34084490091 and 634084490114. (Lot #'s 3024A, 3057B, 3063A, 3063B, 3132A, 3133A)

• SPF 30 Kids Sunscreen Lotion tubes with UPC codes of 634084490145 and 634084490169. (Lot # 3164A)

To get refunds, consumers can return the tubes to retailers or contact Badger at 1-800-603-6100 or [email protected].