Following alerts from the US FDA regarding benzene contamination, the NNHPD has updated several entries in the NHPID. Benzene is a Class 1 solvent with unacceptable toxicity and must not be used in health product manufacturing. Key changes include the removal of carbomer grades 934, 934P, 941, and 1342 as well as the generic ‘carbomer’ entry, which will now require identification of specific grades. This aligns with proposals from the US Pharmacopeia and National Formulary to omit these carbomer monographs.

The NNHPD is contacting affected licence holders and requesting removal of these carbomers from formulations. Note that any for drug products containing these carbomer ingredients, Health Canada is also reaching out to DIN holders requesting removal of these carbomers from formulations. If you have questions or would like guidance on how this change may affect your products, please reach out to our team.