About 4.9 million bottles of the multipurpose cleaning product Fabuloso have been recalled because they may contain a bacteria that can cause a serious infection in people with weakened immune systems and others with health risks, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday.
The recalled products were sold online through Amazon and other websites as well as in brick-and-mortar stores including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Walmart and Home Depot from December 2022 through January. Several sizes of Fabuloso were recalled in scents including lavender, lemon and ocean.
Fabuloso’s manufacturer, Colgate-Palmolive, said in a statement that a preservative had not been added “at the intended levels” during the manufacturing process and that the “inadequate” amount of the preservative might have allowed bacteria to grow.
The recalled products may include Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens, bacteria that can enter the body through inhalation, the eyes or a break in the skin. The recall notice said that people with healthy immune systems were not usually affected by the bacteria, but people with weakened immune systems, external medical devices or underlying lung conditions could contract a serious infection if exposed to it.
The commission said that no incidents or injuries had been reported from the recalled product.
Colgate-Palmolive advised people to stop using the recalled cleaners and not to empty the bottles before throwing them away. About 3.9 million of the recalled bottles had not been sold, Colgate-Palmolive said. The recall also included about 56,000 bottles of the cleaner sold in Canada.
People who purchased the recalled bottles should contact Colgate-Palmolive for a refund or for a free replacement product. “We remain committed to maintaining the highest level of product quality and have taken action to help ensure we live up to those standards,” the company said.
The recall did not include bottles of Fabuloso antibacterial cleaner or other Fabuloso products. The recalled and unaffected products are listed online.
Fabuloso debuted in Venezuela in the 1980s, then gained popularity in Mexico before it was introduced in the United States in 1996, and became the cleaner of choice for many Latino households.
Fabuloso is the latest cleaning brand to recall products because they may contain bacteria. About 37 million bottles of scented Pine-Sol were recalled in October, and about eight million bottles of the Laundress brand products were recalled in December.
