Insight Pharmaceuticals has issued a voluntary recall of a foot spray meant to treat athlete’s foot after a review by the company’s manufacturer and a third-party lab found elevated levels of benzene.
Benzene is not an ingredient listed in the recalled product, Ting 1% Tolnaftate Athlete’s Foot Spray Antifungal Spray Liquid, and is a known human carcinogen. Two lots of the foot spray have been recalled. The lots include 4.5-ounce cans that expire in July 2024 and June 2025.
The blue-and-white cans were distributed nationwide through several online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
All retailers have been notified and were asked to remove any of the remaining products from shelves. Pharmaceutical Insights is offering reimbursement for consumers who have purchased the contaminated foot spray. The company requests that consumers stop using the affected foot spray immediately.
To receive a reimbursement, consumers should take a photo of the recalled foot spray, ensuring to photograph the lot number located on the bottom of the can, then contact Insight Pharmaceuticals at MedicalAffairs@PrestigeBrands.com, through its website at PrestigeBrands.com/Contact, or by calling (800) 344-7239. Consumers should discard the can after taking a photo.
What Is Benzene?
Benzene is a colorless liquid that emits a sweet odor and is often found in the environment as a result of industrial waste, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can evaporate into the air very quickly and dissolve slightly in water. Most people can smell it in the air and taste it in water.
Benzene exposure is relatively common; the CDC notes that nearly everyone is exposed to some amount of benzene regularly. However, “for most people, the level of exposure to benzene through food, beverages, or drinking water is not as high as through air,” the CDC reported.
Exposure to benzene through this product can occur by inhalation or through the skin, putting a person at risk of developing health issues. According to the CDC, when the body is exposed to high levels of benzene in the air, nearly half of what is inhaled passes through the lining of the lungs and enters the bloodstream. Small amounts of benzene can also enter the bloodstream by passing through your skin. Once there, benzene makes its way into the body’s bone marrow and fat, where it is converted into metabolites in the liver and bone marrow.
These metabolites can cause the most harm. Major health issues from severe benzene exposure include life-threatening leukemia and blood disorders, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) press release.
The FDA added that Insight Pharmaceuticals recalls the products out of “an abundance of precaution.”
The Ting recall is the latest in a string of Insight Pharmaceuticals recalls related to benzene exposure. In late December 2023, the company recalled one lot of Americaine 20% Benzocaine Topical Anesthetic Spray due to benzene contamination. In late November 2023, two lots of Ting 2% Miconazole Nitrate Athlete’s Foot Spray Antifungal Spray Powder were recalled after a lab found elevated levels of benzene.
While no adverse reactions have been reported to the FDA to date, the federal agency requests that consumers and health care providers report any issues experienced as a result of the use of the products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. Reports can be submitted online by calling 1-800-332-1088 or faxing a form to 1-800-FDA-0178.