The move marks the first time the company recalled its baby powder for possible asbestos contamination. Credit:AP

Chicago: Johnson & Johnson said on Friday it is recalling around 33,000 bottles of baby powder in the US after health regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in samples taken from a bottle purchased online.

Shares in the company fell more than 6 per cent to close at $US127.70 ($186.30).

The move marks the first time the company has recalled its well-known baby powder for possible asbestos contamination, and the first time US regulators have announced a finding of asbestos in the product. Asbestos is a known carcinogen that has been linked to deadly mesothelioma.

The recall is the latest blow to the more than 130-year-old US healthcare conglomerate that is facing thousands of lawsuits over a variety of products, including baby powder, opioids, medical devices and the antipsychotic Risperdal.