Business briefing for March 24

FDA recalls 6 acne products because of benzene The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for a set of acne products because they contain elevated levels of benzene, a known carcinogen. The recalls affect certain lots of six products tested by the FDA and one product tested by the manufacturer. It instructs retailers to pull the affected products from shelves and online sales. All the recalled products use benzoyl peroxide as their main active ingredient. The findings are the latest in a string of incidents in which benzene has been found in US consumer products above the levels legally allowed. The contract analytical laboratory Valisure has been proactively screening several categories of personal care products for benzene and has filed several citizen petitions with the FDA seeking recalls. “This ongoing issue underscores the critical need for independent testing to be expanded and better integrated into our fragile