Some Cottonelle flushable wipes recalled due to potential bacteria contamination

Kimberly-Clark announced a product recall of its Cottonelle Flushable Wipes and Cottonelle GentlePlus Flushable Wipes sold throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, due to the detection of some Cottonelle Flushable Wipes that do not meet its high quality standards.

According to a recall notice posted on the Cottonelle website, the packages were manufactured between Feb. 7 and Sept. 14 and the website has a lot number checker where consumers can find out if their wipes are affected.

“The affected product could show the presence of a bacterium (Pluralibacter gergoviae) which naturally occurs in the environment and in the human body”, the company says in the recall notice. “Pluralibacter gergoviae rarely causes serious infections in healthy individuals.”

However, Kimberly-Clark also says that “individuals with weakened immune systems are at a heightened risk of infection.” and completes that “at this time there is a low rate of non-serious complaints, such as irritation and minor infection, reported for the affected wipes.”

According to the recall, no other Cottonelle products are affected by the recall and Flushable Wipes not affected are safe to use.

In frequently asked questions about the recall, the company says there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 associated with any of their products and adds that the “decision to recall these wipes has nothing to do with COVID-19.”

Consumers who have the affected wipes should stop using and contact Kimberly-Clark’s Consumer Service team at 1-800-414-0165 for instructions. They are available Monday – Friday, 8 am – 9 pm CT and 8 am – 6 pm CT Saturday and Sunday.

Check the full recall notice: cottonelle.com/en-us/recallfaq