RACINE, Wisc., July 22, 2009 – SC Johnson has recently become aware of a hoax email concerning the OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent, alleging concern about potential risks from the product's active ingredient.  The email makes false statements about this product and the ingredient metofluthrin.

First, we want to make it very clear that consumers can use the OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent with confidence when used according to label directions. The active ingredient in the OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent is metofluthrin.  Metofluthrin, and specifically this product, are registered products with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). This ingredient is an effective repellent that has gone through extensive toxicology testing and evaluation and it has been approved for consumer use by the US EPA.  

In order for SC Johnson to sell products such as OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent, these products go through extensive product testing, both in terms of product ingredients and efficacy. These tests look at skin, eye, and lung irritation, as well as other issues. The US EPA evaluates the products for a variety of use conditions, including use by sensitive populations such as children, prior to granting registration. Of course, as with all OFF!® products, children using the OFF!® clip-on™  Mosquito Repellent should be supervised at all times. We would not want them using the product as a toy and do not want them to play with the refill. In addition we would not recommend using the product with infants.

The OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent has been proven highly effective in laboratory and field tests, satisfying the US EPA's requirement that personal repellents exhibit mosquito repellency in excess of 95%.  

As a family company, nothing is more important to us than the health and wellbeing of the families who use SC Johnson products. Our products meet or exceed the high standards and regulations set by government regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, the European Union and other global markets in which they are sold. Our product and ingredient evaluations take into consideration how products are used, the most up-to-date information on the products and ingredients, and established acceptable exposure guidelines.

We want to make it clear, that like all of SC Johnson's products, OFF!® clip-on™ Mosquito Repellent can be used with confidence when label directions are followed. And if a consumer has a question or concern, they can always contact us by calling 1-800-558-5252.

For more information on specific points raised in the hoax email click here

About SC Johnson:

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, ECHO®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 123-year old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries. www.scjohnson.com