J&J Recalls Benadryl, Tylenol Overlooked in January

In another burst of bad publicity for Johnson & Johnson, the company on Tuesday said it has recalled four additional lots of Benadryl allergy tablets and one lot of Extra Strength Tylenol gels.

The diversified healthcare company, in a press release, said it was recalling the lots after inadvertently failing to include them in a wider recall of over the counter drugs on January 15. 

On that occasion, 53 million bottles of a range of products were recalled after consumers complained of musty or moldy odors. The brands included Tylenol and Motrin painkillers, Rolaids, Benadryl and St. Joseph's Aspirin. J&J said the odor was linked to traces of a chemical called TBA, caused by the breakdown of a chemical applied to wood used to build pallets that transport and store product packaging materials.

"Further analysis confirms that the risk of serious adverse medical events is remote," J&J said on Tuesday.

All told, the J&J unit has issued four product recalls in the past year due to quality control problems at its plants. One of the unit's three main factories, located in Ft. Washington, Pa., has been shut down while the company strives to fix multiple deficiencies cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"From a financial standpoint this really won't have much of an impact on earnings, but it's more of a concern to the strength of the Johnson & Johnson brand name," said Morningstar analyst Damien Conover.