J&J recalls contaminated pain medication

Johnson & Johnson is recalling additional lots of its Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplets which have become contaminated with a trace chemical linked to nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea.

The contamination with the compound - identified as 2, 4, 6-tribromoanisole - appears to have originated from wooden pallets used to transport and store the drugs, rather than any problem associated with the sourcing of the ingredients used in the product or other processing issues.

In November 2009 J&J recalled five lots of the product because of the contamination, but expanded the scope ahead of the New Year after additional cases were uncovered.

The voluntary recall affects "all available product lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet 100-count bottles, with the distinctive red EZ-Open Cap," according to a press release issued by J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare subsidiary and available here.