TWO brands of baby wipes that were withdrawn from supermarket shelves in New Zealand on Wednesday for safety reasons are still being sold in Woolworths supermarkets in Australia.
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Progressive Enterprises, which owns Woolworths stores in New Zealand, removed Woolworths Homebrand baby wipes and Woolworths Select wipes because they contain a chemical that poses health risks to children.
The chemical - iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC) - is said to be toxic when inhaled by small children and has been linked with allergic skin conditions. It was originally used as a paint and wood preservative and, more recently, in cosmetics.
A spokeswoman for Woolworths said yesterday it would not be withdrawing the baby wipes from Australian stores as they understood the chemical ''wasn't of concern'' among Australian health authorities.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said the industrial chemical regulator, the National Industrial Chemicals and Assessment Scheme, ''has not been advised of any concerns about the use of this chemical in any cosmetic or domestic applications''.
However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it was aware of the New Zealand recall and was making inquiries as to whether the products were available in Australia.
Yesterday The Age purchased three baby wipe products from Woolworths that listed IPBC as an ingredient. These included Woolworths Homebrand scented baby wipes, Woolworths Homebrand light scented baby wipes and Woolworths Select unscented baby wipes.
Regulators in several countries advise that IPBC should not be used in products that can be inhaled and New Zealand cosmetic standards list IPBC as not to be used in preparations for children under three except below certain levels in bath products, shower gels and shampoo.
