Cleaning product Fabuloso recalls 4.9 million bottles due to bacteria risk

The popular multipurpose cleaning product Fabuloso is recalling about 4.9 million bottles because they may contain a bacteria that can cause a severe infection, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said on Wednesday. 

The manufacturer of the Fabuloso, Colgate-Palmolive Company, also recalled about 56,000 bottles of the cleaning product in Canada. 

The products recalled include several types of the cleaner that were produced from December 14 to January 23. The products being recalled were sold online, such as in Amazon, and at major stores such as Walmart and Dollar General. 

According to Colgate-Palmolive, during the manufacturing process "a preservative was not added at the intended levels during manufacturing," causing a bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens to grow.

The company is asking anyone who purchased one of the affected products to stop using it because the bacteria can cause severe infections in people with a weakened immune system, lung conditions, or underlying health problems. 

“People with weakened immune systems, external medical devices, or underlying lung conditions who are exposed to the bacteria face a risk of serious infection that may require medical treatment,” the company said in a statement. “The bacteria can enter the body if inhaled, through the eyes, or through a break in the skin. People with healthy immune systems are usually not affected by the bacteria.”

No infections have been reported so far in connection to the recall, the CPSC said.