More than 40 formulations of children's medications are being recalled in Canada, the United States and 10 other countries for failing to meet quality standards.

Johnson & Johnson's corporate headquarters are seen in New Brunswick, N.J. The company's McNeil Consumer Healthcare subsidiary issued a recall late Friday of major brands of children's medicine.Johnson & Johnson's corporate headquarters are seen in New Brunswick, N.J. The company's McNeil Consumer Healthcare subsidiary issued a recall late Friday of major brands of children's medicine. (Daniel Hulshizer/Associated Press)

The recall applies to over-the-counter liquid medicines produced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare under the brand names Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.

In Canada, the impact is limited to all lots of Children's Motrin and infants' Motrin liquid suspension products and Children's Tylenol Cough & Runny Nose liquid suspension.

Here is a release describing the Canadian products affected by the recall.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of consumer-goods giant Johnson & Johnson, issued the recall after consultations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA doesn't yet list the recall on its website, nor does Health Canada, but McNeil said in a statement Friday that no adverse health effects have been reported so far as a result of the affected medications.

Rather, the recall has been issued because some of the drugs "may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified," while others may be tainted by particles, the company said.

The voluntary recall applies to all lots that have not yet expired and that were produced in the U.S. for distribution there, in Canada and in 10 other countries. Here are all the affected brands:

  • Tylenol Infants' Drops (7 different formulations).
  • Children's Tylenol Suspensions (8 formulations).
  • Children's Tylenol Plus Suspensions (9 formulations).
  • Motrin Infants' Drops (3 formulations).
  • Children's Motrin Suspensions (11 formulations).
  • Children's Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles (5 formulations).
  • Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles (1 formulation).

The company is advising consumers to stop giving the products to children as a precautionary measure.

More information is available at www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

Johnson & Johnson issued a major recall of various kinds of adult-grade Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Rolaids last winter when pills became affected by a mouldy smell that made some consumers sick.

With files from The Associated Press