Generic versions of the popular cold and allergy medicine Mucinex, sold under in-store brands at CVS, Walmart, Target and Walgreens, reportedly contain the carcinogenic chemical benzene.
Benzene is a colourless, flammable liquid that has been used to make plastics, synthetic fibres, household cleaners, gasoline and rubber, and has been linked to diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma.
The brand-name drug Mucinex, sold by British pharmaceutical giant Reckitt Benckiser Group, contains a benzene-free inert ingredient called carbomer, a white powder that produces a sustained-release effect that provides relief for up to 12 hours.
but Bloomberg News analysis It turns out that carbomer, which is used to make generic drugs sold by major U.S. pharmacies, does in fact contain benzene.
All four major chains source their drugs from New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., according to Bloomberg News.
The Post has reached out to Amneal Pharmaceuticals for comment.
“Our private label products are safe, high quality, developed to work as intended, comply with regulations and delight customers,” a CVS spokesperson told The Washington Post.
CVS said it requires its suppliers to “commit to complying with all laws and regulations and following FDA guidelines.”
“When launching a drug or cosmetic product, CVS’s store-brand suppliers must certify that neither their raw materials nor their finished products contain benzene,” a CVS representative said.
A company spokesman said the company was “working with alternative suppliers” of carbomer, which is found in its mucus-relieving medication.
The Bloomberg analysis also found that carbomer, which contains benzene, was used in making Walgreens’ oral painkiller Anbesol, Walmart’s Equate brand sunscreen facial moisturizer and Rite Aid’s BenGay muscle cream.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year called on drug companies to phase out benzene use by 2025, but extended the deadline to 2026 after industry protests.
“The FDA puts the health and well-being of Americans first and works continuously to ensure that all medicines meet the highest quality standards,” FDA spokeswoman Amanda Hills told Bloomberg News.
Earlier this year, a private laboratory based in New Haven, Connecticut, filed a petition with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alleging that testing of 66 products, including acne creams and facial cleansers such as Clearasil, had found “unacceptably high” levels of benzene.
In 2021, Johnson & Johnson announced it was recalling five Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreens after some samples were found to contain low levels of benzene.
Consumers responded by filing class action lawsuits.
The following year, Banana Boat announced it was recalling three batches of hair and scalp sunscreen after testing found the product contained traces of benzene.
A few weeks later, more than 20 popular dry shampoo aerosol products sold by the multinational corporation Unilever were recalled due to “potential elevated levels of benzene.”
Benzene has also been found in the artificial colors and sweeteners used in the production of popular snacks and cereals such as Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Skittles, Nerds, M&M’s and Doritos.
The Washington Post has reached out to Walmart, Walgreens and Target for comment.
