Smell something funny? If you’ve got a bottle of the Tylenol 8 Hour Caplet 50 at home, that moldy odor might be coming from the pills.

Smell familiar? That might be because in the past the family favorite Johnson & Johnson has had to recall over the counter medicine in the past due to this stench, which according to a report is caused by the unwelcomed presence of the chemical 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. If that name sounds a little frightening in all its unfamiliarity, don’t worry – the side effects are mild in comparison to other well known recalls in the past, and aren’t serious.

Ironic that this Tylenol recall comes just as the company’s third quarter earnings report was announced, which marked a significant drop in profits due to similar recalls recently. Their sales dropped by .7 percent to $15.0 billion, though the impact from over the counter recalls was evident. “Working across our production network, we have begun restoring the supply of some of the impacted children’s medicines, which will increase in the coming months,” said Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer William C. Weldon, in regards to the McNeil Consumer Healthcare Fort Washington, PA facility closure.

Still, no one likes taking a stinky pill, so check your bottle for lot number BCM155, UPC Code 3 00045-0297-518. Johnson & Johnson received a few calls about the unusual odor but haven’t heard of any extreme case results in terms of health concerns.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. is recalling the product, which was released in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Source: Johnson & Johnson