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New Jersey-based Johnson and Johnson has had 12 other recalls in barely a year

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Johnson and Johnson has just received another migraine headache from Tylenol. Caplets are again being recalled after some consumers were sickened by ingesting the pills or smelling a musty or moldy odor on the bottles.

Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit received some complaints from people who reported nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea after taking the pills, a spokeswoman said Monday.

The Associated Press reports it's the fifth time that Johnson and Johnson, based in New Brunswick, has recalled nonprescription medicines because of consumer complaints about an unpleasant odor.

According to Reuters, a company spokeswoman identified the product as adult Tylenol eight-hour caplets sold in 50-count bottles in the United States and Puerto Rico. She said the recalled lot was made in March at a factory in Fort Washington, Pa., operated by J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit.

Complaints of the musty or moldy odor led to the recall, McNeil Consumer Healthcare said to CNN.com. The odor, the company believes, is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole.

McNeil said the "risk of adverse medical events is remote."

J&J shut down the McNeil plant the following month and is upgrading the facility to correct quality control lapses discovered by U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors.

This makes 13 recalls in barely a year by the health care giant, mostly for more serious problems with its nonprescription drugs, contact lenses, blood glucose test strips and hip implants.

Johnson and Johnson has issued several recalls of non-prescription cold and pain drugs such as Tylenol, Benadryl and Motrin — prompting a Congressional inquiry.

Last month, company CEO William Weldon admitted to lawmakers that his company let the public down through numerous recent drug recalls.

The affected bottles are labeled lot number BCM155, UPC code 3 0045-0297-51 8, according to the Tylenol website.

CBS News reports consumers who bought caplets included in the recall should stop using the product and contact McNeil Consumer Healthcare, either by calling 1-888-222-6036 or using the website www.mcneilproductrecall.com for information on how to receive a refund or replacement product.