Tylenol recall is expanded

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Johnson & Johnson is expanding a recall of over-the-counter medicines including Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl, the company said Thursday.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, Fortune 500), said it is recalling 21 lots of OTC drugs as a follow-up to a Jan. 15 recall following complaints of a "musty or moldy odor."

Thursday's recall includes certain types of Children's Tylenol as well as adult-strength Benadryl, Motrin IB, Tylenol Extra Strength, Tylenol Day & Night and Tylenol PM.

A McNeil spokeswoman declined to say how many packages are involved in the recall, adding that the company would not provide any further information.

The affected products were stored on a the same type of wooden pallet that contained trace amounts of a chemical that has been linked to the musty odor in the Jan. 15 recall. The risk of serious health problems is remote, McNeil said.

The affected medicines were produced before the January recall, and they were sold in America, Puerto Rico, Fiji, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

Five recent recalls: This is the fifth recall in nine months for New Brunswick, N.J.-based McNeil, which has drawn the wrath of the Food and Drug Administration for not reacting quickly to customer complaints.

In November 2009, the company recalled five lots of its Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 count with the EZ-open cap product due to reports of an unusual moldy odor that led to some cases of nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

In December 2009, McNeil expanded that recall to include all available product lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplet 100 count bottles with the red EZ-open cap.

During the January recall, McNeil recalled an undisclosed number of containers of Tylenol, Motrin and other over-the-counter drugs after consumers complained of feeling sick from an "unusual" odor.

In May, McNeil said it was taking "corrective actions" at its U.S. plant after 40 children's drugs were recalled in late April for quality concerns, saying that some of the products could have problems with their ingredients while others could contain "tiny particles."

Customers who bought recalled products should stop using them and contact McNeil for instructions on how to obtain a refund or replacement. More information is available at www.mcneilproductrecall.com and 1-888-222-6036.