Potential asbestos contamination leads to baby powder recall
Sample testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of Johnson & Johnson talc-based baby powder uncovered an asbestos contamination. The presence of the cancer-causing chemical lead to a recall of more than 30,000 bottles of baby powder. So far, only baby powder has been recalled.
According to the FDA, “sub-trace levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination” were detected during the testing. Johnson & Johnson says that there have been no reported illnesses at this time, and the recall was made “out of an abundance of caution.” This recall comes on the heels of a Reuters story from December of 2018 that claimed Johnson & Johnson was aware for “decades” of the presence of asbestos in its products. Reuters alleged that Johnson & Johnson even took steps to conceal the contamination from the public. For their part, Johnson & Johnson have denied these claims.
The FDA has recently made asbestos contamination a focus of their investigations. As Gizmodo writes, in 2018 the FDA began “testing a variety of talc-based cosmetic products for asbestos. While a final report is still pending, the agency has periodically sent public advisories and pushed for recalls of products that contained asbestos.” It seems as though the FDA’s focus has yielded some results, with recalls by Claire’s, Beauty Plus Global, and now Johnson & Johnson.
To read the Gizmodo article on the recall in its entirety, click here: https://bit.ly/32JEhkU