Johnson & Johnson will do away with talc-based baby powder by next year. Instead, they will make their baby powder with cornstarch. The company’s talc-based powder hasn’t been sold in the U.S. and Canada since 2020 but is at the center of thousands of lawsuits. The lawsuits were filed by women who developed ovarian cancer after using regular talcum powder.
Although Johnson & Johnson remains confident in its product safety, it decided to stop selling the talc-based product globally.
Talc-Based Baby Powder Lawsuits
Multiple companies slapped warning labels on their talcum powder products, but Johnson & Johnson argued that the labels would be confusing. Johnson & Johnson believed that because they stood by their products. However, some studies have shown that women who used talc-based products in the genital areas have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
As stated previously, Johnson & Johnson faces tens of thousands of lawsuits from women affected by their product. The lawsuits allege that asbestos in its talcum powder causes cancer. In 2018, a St. Louis jury delivered a $4.7 billion verdict against the company. They said the company was negligent and did not warn consumers about possible health risks from its baby powder.
“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts worldwide that confirms talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” the company said on Friday.
