Rolaids Recall Issued By J&J Due to Metal and Wood Particles

Consumer complaints of metal and wood fragments in Rolaids “Softchews” has led to yet another major Johnson & Johnson drug recall. 

The pharmaceutical giant’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division, already under scrutiny following a massive children’s medication recall earlier this year, announced a Rolaids recall on December 9.

Johnson & Johnson officials say that the metal and wood contaminants being reported were likely introduced by a third party manufacturer and says that the likelihood of illness or injury is remote.

The recall affects all lots of Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews, Rolaids Extra Strength puls Gas Softchews, and Rolaids Multi-Symptom plus Anti-Gas Softchews. Johnson & Johnson has said that production of the Rolaids products will not resume until they have corrected the problem.

Johnson & Johnson has issued a string of recalls this year due to manufacturing problems and quality control issues with a variety of over-the-counter products. On April 30, a recall was issued for 40 different liquid medication products, including Tylenol, Benadryl and Motrin. That recall affected 136 million bottles of children’s medications, and resulted in the shutdown of the company’s Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, plant, and the suspension of the production of all of children medications manufactured by their McNeil-subsidiary.

The recalls have continued to roll in, with 12 million bottles of Mylanta and 9 million bottles of Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom recalled just last month. This is the third Rolaids recall in less than a year, after some Rolaids products were included in a massive multi-product recall of Johnson & Johnson drugs due to musty odors caused by pesticide contamination. One lot of cherry-flavored Rolaids softchews was also recalled last month, due to crystallized sugar causing uncharacteristic texture.

Some analysts are saying that the Johnson & Johnson Las Piedras facility in Puerto Rico may be in danger of being shut down, which would put a temporary halt to all of the company’s domestic over-the-counter drug production. An FDA inspection report released last month detailed a laundry list of problems at the plant that the company has failed to correct despite government scrutiny, including quality control issues that have led to poor quality drugs being shipped to the public, and failures to thoroughly investigate quality discrepancies.