A cold and flu nasal wash product is being recalled after it tested positive for a dangerous bacteria.
Ascent Consumer Products Inc. announced a voluntary recall on the FDA’s website on Tuesday, Feb. 24 of its SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System after a test result confirmed there was a “microbial contamination of the product with Staphylococcus aureus.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria “commonly found on the skin and in the nose of about 30% of individuals” that can cause skin infections, or if it gets into the body, can lead to “serious or fatal” symptoms.
The recall affects the SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System with an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2027. The product is described as “a nasal wash of the nasal passages to help temporarily relieve symptoms associated with sinusitis, cold, flu or allergies.”
The product is packaged in a carton containing a “squeeze bottle and 30 Saline Packets,” and it was distributed across the U.S. both in retail stores and online in January 2025, according to the company. The lot number of the product is “024122661A1.”
Ascent Consumer Products Inc. noted that people “whose nasal mucosa may be compromised due to inflammation and mechanical injuries” who use their product contaminated with the bacteria may get a blood infection.
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People may also get “secondary infections” including endocarditis, an “infection of the heart’s inner lining,” “bone and joint infections” or “bacterial sinusitis,” which according to the recall “may lead to eye tissue infections, vision problems, cranial nerve damage or meningitis.”
“These infections are serious and potentially life-threatening,” the company said.
So far, “no adverse events” have been reported to Ascent Consumer Products Inc. yet in relation to the recall, the company said.
Customers who purchased the product have been advised to discontinue using it and immediately return it where it was purchased or discard it. The company noted that if customers “experience any problems related to the use of this product,” they should contact their physician or healthcare provider.
Distributors were also contacted by the company and asked to “cease distribution” and “remove” the products from their inventory.
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