Judge allows lawsuits vs Wal-Mart, J&J over shampoo

[douglas9]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A federal judge in New Jersey has allowed two proposed class action lawsuits to proceed against Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Johnson & Johnson over the sale of children's shampoo and baby wash allegedly containing a toxin linked to cancer.

The lawsuits, by consumers in Missouri and Nevada, claim Johnson's Baby Shampoo and Wal-Mart's Equate Tearless Baby Wash contain methylene chloride, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in cosmetics.

U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh dismissed from the lawsuits defendants Gerber Products Co, Procter & Gamble Co Distributing LLC, MZB Personal Care and MZ Berger & Company in two separate orders, filed on Monday and Thursday, showed.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61504K20100206?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews