Johannesburg, South Africa – South African health regulators have announced a recall of specific batches of Johnson & Johnson’s Benylin Paediatric Syrup due to high levels of diethylene glycol, a potentially toxic substance. The affected product was distributed in South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria.
This action follows a similar recall initiated by Nigerian authorities earlier this week after they first detected the contaminant. Kenya has also issued a recall for the same syrup.
Benylin Paediatric Syrup is commonly used to treat coughs associated with allergies and upper respiratory tract infections. Kenvue, the current owner of the Benylin brand following a spin-off from J&J in 2023, has launched its own investigation and is collaborating with health officials to determine the next steps.
“We have reviewed our global safety data from the product’s launch in May 2021 to April 11, 2024, and haven’t identified any serious adverse events linked to specific batches of Benylin Paediatric Syrup,” Kenvue stated.
The presence of diethylene glycol in cough syrup has been tragically linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon since 2022, marking one of the most severe incidents of accidental poisoning from oral medication in recent history.