Allercare

In late summer of 1999, SC Johnson launched Allercare. Allercare was a product designed to kill dute mites and reduce the allergens from them. The targeted market was those with allergies and other health conditions that were triggered or exacerbated by exposure to dust mite allergens. The product was advertised as "recommended by allergist" and consumers felt their health could be improved by using the product.

Within a few months, the EPA had received hundreds of complaints and SC Johnson had gotten several thousand. Adverse incidents ranged from minor irritation to severe asthma attacks and respiratory difficulty. Most reported adverse effects within 15-20 minutes of use of the product.

Both SC Johnson and the EPA felt most of the adverse effects were triggered by something other than benzyl benzoate, the active ingredient in the product. Fragrance was the suspected culprit. In January 2000, the product was recalled from the shelves. Products that had already been purchased was not a part of the recall action. Over the next few months, complaints continued to be registered by consumers using the products they had purchased.

No effort was made by the EPA or any other agency to determine what in the fragrance portion of the product was causing the reported incidents. SC Johnson was fined for not registering one of the Allercare products as a pesticide.