Johnson&Johnson has announced that it will no longer sell its beloved product, talc-based baby powder across the world.
The product, which already saw the end of its era in the United States came under contestation in 2020 due to “consumer safety lawsuits” as Reuters records.
The company faced over 19 000 lawsuits that claimed that the products were contaminated with asbestos, a carcinogen that people accused of causing ovarian cancer. In recent times, that number is 38 000.
Back during the original contestation, J&J stood by the product stating that it was sure of the product’s safety and stood by the decades of research that had ensured this, as the BBC reiterates.
However, soon after the demand for the product decreased in the Northern Hemisphere, J&J decided to call it quits on the product.
Now, the discontinuation will extend to the rest of the world, with 2023 set to earmark the end of the product’s availability.
The company still says it believes the product is safe, despite the discontinuation:
“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms talc-based JOHNSON’S® Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”
So what’s next for baby powder? J&J shares that the transition to a corn-starch-based product will be the main focus.
“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio. As a result of this transition, talc-based JOHNSON’S® Baby Powder will be discontinued globally in 2023.,” J&J added in a statement.
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