Agent Cool Blue Recall

Listerine’s Agent Cool Blue for kids has been recalled, all lots, all flavors:

Press release:

MORRIS PLAINS, NEW JERSEY – April 11, 2007 – McNEIL-PPC, Inc. (the “Company”) today announced a voluntary nationwide consumer recall of all lots of the GLACIER MINT™ and BUBBLE BLAST™ flavors of LISTERINE® AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse after the Company determined that the preservative system is not adequate against certain microorganisms. The Company has been in full communication with the FDA regarding this issue and the decision to implement a voluntary recall. The Company is recalling all bottles of AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse, an estimated 4 million, from both retailers and consumers.

The Company conducted a thorough assessment and concluded that the risk of illness in healthy individuals following use of this product is very low. However, there could be a significant health risk to individuals with weakened or suppressed immune systems. To date, there have been no consumer adverse health events reported that are related to this issue.

The recall affects all existing bottles of AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse. Consumers should discontinue using and properly discard the product, and may obtain a full refund through calling the Company’s toll free consumer line 1-888-222-0249 and mailing in the back label, including the UPC code. Additional information can be found at the product website www.agentcoolblue.com.

Introduced in 2006, AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse tints plaque blue for better brushing. Consumers can readily distinguish this product by the cartoon character on the front of the bottle. Only AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse products are affected by this action. No other LISTERINE® branded products are affected and they remain safe and effective for use as directed.

“We have voluntarily initiated this recall of AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse because our primary concern is that consumers have complete confidence in the safety and effectiveness of our products,” said Paul Sturman, President, Consumer Healthcare North America, McNEIL-PPC, Inc. “This voluntary action is in keeping with our longstanding policy of providing timely and effective consumer information about all our products.”

AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse has been sold to consumers through supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants and other retail outlets, and is sold to dental professionals’ offices nationwide. The Company is contacting dental professionals and retailers directly as part of their recall notification process.

We have been using Agent Cool Blue for a while and it makes the kids WANT to brush their teeth. This stuff is far better than the little red tablets they had us chew during dental hygiene week at elementary school, especially since you could use this every day. I hope that the preservative issue is resolved quickly and McNeil-PPC can get Agent Cool Blue back on the shelves as soon as possible.

You can download the refund request form here. Peel the back label off the bottle (carefully, to include the UPC and lot number) and send the form and the label in for a refund.