Johnson & Johnson will stop making and selling its talc-based baby powder around the world from next year. The announcement comes more than two years after the company ended sales of the product in the US. Johnson and Johnson faces some 38,000 lawsuits from women who allege its talcum powder contained asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
The company announced that it will replace the talc-based powder with cornstarch. The firm added that cornstarch-based baby powder is already sold in countries around the world.
According to BBC, the company reiterated its stand that its baby powder is safe to use. The company said its talc-based baby powder does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
In 2020, the company said it would stop selling the product in the US and Canada as demand had fallen amid what it called misinformation about the product’s safety due to several legal cases.
At the time, the company had said it would continue to sell its talc-based baby powder in the UK and the rest of the world.
Talc is mined from the earth and is found in seams close to that of asbestos which is a material known to cause cancer.
In response to evidence of asbestos contamination presented in courtrooms, media reports and to US lawmakers, the firm has repeatedly denied allegations.
Johnson’s baby powder has been sold for 130 years. Baby powder is used for preventing nappy rash and for cosmetic uses including as a dry shampoo.
