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Consumers who purchase the Fabuloso brand of cleaning products need to check their bottles to determine whether a new recall applies to them.
A notice posted on Wednesday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that almost 5 million bottles of the Colgate-Palmolive products were manufactured across the nation between December 2022 and January 2023. However, approximately 80 percent of them were never released for sale, leaving about a million bottles potentially on store shelves or in consumer households.
An alert on Thursday morning from the V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs notes that “locally, Fabuloso is sold throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands by almost every business with a retailer license. DLCA is ordering all retailers throughout the Territory to check the lot code and UPC code of its inventory and to pull the product off shelves and refrain from selling any affected products immediately.”
The recalled bottles of household cleaner may be contaminated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens, “bacteria commonly found in soil and water,” according to the DLCA notice. Contamination by the same bacteria spurred a recall of Pine-Sol all-purpose cleaner because of the same bacteria.
Colgate-Palmolive says that the correct amount of preservative was not added to the affected batches during the manufacturing process, leaving the bottles at risk of bacterial overgrowth. According to DLCA, the germs “can enter the body through wounds, eyes, and lungs, posing a risk of serious infection to people with weakened immune systems, lung conditions or external medical devices.” Those with healthy immune systems usually are not at risk, according to the manufacturer and the CPSC.
Only the following Fabuloso products are being recalled:
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Fabuloso Original Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Lavender Scent, 22 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner 2X Concentrated Formula, Lavender Scent, 56 FL OZ, 28 FL OZ, 169 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Lavender Scent, 210 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Professional All-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, Lavender Scent, 1 GALLON
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Fabuloso Original Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Refreshing Lemon Scent, 22 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner 2X Concentrated Formula, Refreshing Lemon Scent, 33.8 FL OZ, 56 FL OZ, 128 FL OZ and 169 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner 2X Concentrated Formula, Passion of Fruits Scent, 33.8 FL OZ, 56 FL OZ, 128 FL OZ and 169 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner Bleach Alternative 2X Concentrated Formula, Spring Fresh Scent, 56 FL OZ
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Fabuloso Professional All-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, Ocean Scent, 1 GALLON
Products purchased before December 16, 2022 are not included in the recall notice. More information about the specific products being recalled is available at https://www.fabuloso.com/recall, including UPC codes, lot numbers, and photographs of the affected products.
Consumers who purchased the Fabuloso cleaners that are now being recalled can find a form on the website that can be used to request reimbursement. A hotline (1-855-703-0166) has also been established to field questions about the recall.
