Dove, Tresemme shampoos cause cancer; Should Indian consumers worry? Here’s what Unilever have to say

• Image Credit: Internet

• Oct 28, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

According to reports, Hindustan Unilever, Unilever Plc's Indian subsidiary, stated that the company does not manufacture or sell dry shampoo in India.

Digital
Desk: Unilever recently recalled 19 popular aerosol dry shampoos from the US
market after it was discovered that the shampoos contain Benzene, a chemical
that may cause cancer. Unilever maintained that the shampoos were recalled out
of caution because no adverse effects had been reported. The recall order was
issued following an observation by the US Food and Drug Administration and
covers products such as Nexxus, Suave, and Tigi, which manufactures Rockaholic
and Bed Head dry shampoos. Benzene is frequently referred to as a human
carcinogen, and it has been linked to cancers such as leukaemia and bone marrow
cancer.

Should Indians be
concerned, however, because Dove and Tresemme shampoos are widely used in
India?

According to reports,
Hindustan Unilever, Unilever Plc's Indian subsidiary, stated that the company
does not manufacture or sell dry shampoo in India. As a result, Indians should
not be concerned. According to the company, an independent health hazard
evaluation was already completed to check the levels of benzene present in the
shampoos, and the levels of benzene detected in these shampoos do not pose a
health risk.

As per reports, the
recalled products were manufactured prior to October 20, 2021. The company has
also advised retailers to remove the impacted products from their shelves.

 Meanwhile,
Unilever reported yesterday that it saw strong growth in the Indian market
during the July-September quarter of FY23. In the third quarter, the company
reported USG (Underlying sales growth) of 16.1 percent in India. Unilever's
third-quarter revenue was 15.8 billion euros, and its USG increased to 10.6
percent.

Unilever's Indian
subsidiary Hindustan Unilever Ltd reported a 22.19 percent increase in
consolidated net profit to Rs 2,670 crore for the September quarter, primarily
due to volume growth and market gains, last week.