According to media reports, Johnson & Johnson will stop selling and manufacturing talc-based baby powder globally, two years after it discontinued sales in the United States and Canada.
Tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the healthcare company by consumers who claim that its talc products, including the instantly recognisable brand of Johnson’s baby powder, caused them to develop cancer.
“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio,” the company said in a statement, The Guardian reported.
“As a result of this transition, talc-based Johnson’s baby powder will be discontinued globally in 2023.”
According to The Guardian, the company announced in 2020 that it would stop selling the talc-based version in North America due to a drop in demand caused by “misinformation” about the product’s safety and legal challenges.
This was followed by J&J is recalling a batch of baby powder voluntarily after US Food and Drug Administration regulators discovered trace amounts of asbestos in the product. The company announced the recall of 33,000 bottles of talcum powder “out of an abundance of caution.”
According to The Guardian, J&J, which said it already sold the cornstarch-based version of the baby powder around the world, maintained that the talc-based baby powder did not cause cancer.
“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged,” the company said.
“We stand firmly behind decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirm that talc-based Johnson’s baby powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”
J&J, which is facing approximately 38,000 lawsuits, stated that the decision to discontinue sales was made to “optimise” its product portfolio.
“We continuously evaluate and optimise our portfolio to best position the business for long-term growth,” the company said, The Guardian reported.
“This transition will help simplify our product offerings, deliver sustainable innovation, and meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends.”
