MANILA, Philippines – Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder will be off the market globally in 2023, the company announced on August 11.
However, in the United States and in Canada, sales of J&J’s talc-based powder had already been halted after demand for the product had fallen. This came as the manufacturer faced about 38,000 lawsuits from consumers who claimed the powder’s talc is contaminated with asbestos (a carcinogen) and caused cancer.
The lawsuits had been paused after J&J declared its subsidiary’s bankruptcy.
J&J called these allegations as “misinformation” and had always maintained that decades of scientific testing and regulatory approval have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free.
“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio,” J&J announced, reiterating that its stance on its talc-based powder remains unchanged despite the move.