J&J Settles Consumer Suits Over Benzene in Recalled Sunscreen

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. and others have settled consumer litigation over sunscreen products recalled because of benzene contamination, according to a Florida federal court filing.

A spate of proposed federal court class actions followed a report by online pharmacy Valisure, which detected benzene in several brands and batches of sunscreen, including the J&J unit’s Aveeno and Neutrogena brands.

Plaintiffs alleged the presence of benzene, which has been linked to leukemia and other cancers, renders the sunscreens worthless. Humans can be exposed to benzene through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and skin and eye contact, they said.

J&J has said the ...