Located in New Jersey, DermaRite Industries, LLC, is a manufacturer and distributor of cost-effective medical, nutrition and skin care products. They recently declared a recall of their foaming hand soaps, body cleansers, and antiseptic handwash. The recall, issued on August 8, was due to the discovery of microbial contamination associated with Burkholderia cepacia. Chronic exposure to this pathogenic bacterium may include severe infection, worsening health of the immunocompromised, or those with chronic lung disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted a recall notice. They focused on the risks associated with the tainted products. DermaRite has been alerting its distributors and customers via email. They are asking retailers and the public to look through your inventory to find and remove any affected items.
Customers are advised to destroy all recalled items according to their facility’s established procedures. The affected products all expire between July 2025 and February 2027. A full list of affected lot and reorder numbers can be found on DermaRite’s website.
Burkholderia cepacia can cause serious or fatal infections, especially in people with a very weak immune system. People with long-term lung diseases, like cystic fibrosis, are at greater risk of infection by this bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some important guidance on the risk posed by B. cepacia.
“The contaminated products may be used by immunosuppressed individuals or by people attending to immunosuppressed individuals,” – DermaRite
DermaRite’s statement emphasized the gravity of the situation: “In healthy individuals with minor skin lesions the use of the product will more likely result in local infections, whereas in immunocompromised individuals the infection is more likely to spread into the bloodstream leading to life-threatening sepsis.” This warning further highlights the seriousness of this recall.
If you have an affected product to report, or if you would like additional information, please contact DermaRite! You can reach them by calling 569-9000, extension 104, during business hours (9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST), or by emailing voluntary.action@dermarite.com .
