The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is advising the public to return recalled products for a full refund on clothes affected by carcinogen known as Azo dyes.

The commission had already recalled 121,000 items but still want to inform public of returning their bought goods from the following retails:

  • Rivers Australia-Doghouse style children's dark-denim jeans & Doghouse style children's black jeans
  • Just Jeans Pty Ltd-Just Jeans Junior Girls Skinny Jeans & Junior Boys Denim Shorts
  • Pillow Talk Pty Ltd-Pillow Talk 50/50 Poly/Cotton 225 Thread Count Plain Dye Range - Red Only
  • Trade Secret-Firetrap Blackseal Super Skinny Girls Jeans
  • Just Jeans Pty Ltd-Junior Girls Jeans, Junior Boys Pants and Shorts
  • Myer Pty Ltd-Milkshake Classic Jeans
  • Myer Pty Ltd-Wayne Junior Acid Wash Jeans
  • Target Australia Pty Ltd-Kid's and Ladies Denim Jeans

ACCC found azo dyes - synthetic dyes used for colouring a variety of consumer goods such as foods, cosmetics, carpets, clothes, leather and textiles - of carcinogen components.

"A small proportion of azo dyes can contain, or can break down to form, a class of chemical substances referred to as 'aromatic amines'. While consumer exposure to hazardous azo dyes is likely to be very low, the associated cancer risks give cause for concern. As a result, exposure to certain azo dyes, including benzidine-based dyes, should be minimised or eliminated," ACCC wrote in its official statement.

"Certain aromatic amines such as benzidine are hazardous to human health. Expert authorities such as the World Health Organisation International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified some of these aromatic amines as known, or suspected human carcinogens. Exposure to a carcinogen does not mean cancer will result," ACCC said.

The government has yet to come up with specific regulatory limits of azo dyes in Australia.

However, ACCC had already penned a recommendation on April 24 for the government to assess whether regulatory laws should be implemented.

ACCC deputy chairwoman Delia Rickard told ABC that wearing affected clothes for a long time in humid environment exposes the person to the risk of cancer.

"The dye is a known carcinogen but the risk of it actually migrating from the clothing to the person is extremely low ... you would have to wear it for a long time in sweaty conditions. However, we are concerned so we've worked with the suppliers so all of these products have been recalled from the marketplace. We're also looking at what kind of regulation needs to be in place around this."