The Talc Industry and Asbestos:
A Sordid History
Once upon a time, many of us associated talcum powder with fresh smells, adorable babies, and Johnson & Johnson’s squeaky-clean image. But in the years since J&J first introduced its baby powder in 1894, the tide has changed. Thanks to investigative reporting from Reuters and the New York Times in 2018, we now know that the company has known for decades that the talc it used in its products was often contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. J&J faces more than 38,000 lawsuits from claimants who developed cancer after using its talc-based products.
History of the Talc Industry
But the story of talc and its use in powders and cosmetics doesn’t end with Johnson & Johnson. The talc industry has a long and sordid history. Talc is the softest mineral on the Mohs scale and is often found alongside another soft, naturally occurring mineral – asbestos. As a result, when mining talc, it may often be contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen.In 1976, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, now known as the Personal Care Products Council, declared that talc was asbestos-free, claiming they had implemented “stringent safety and quality control measures designed to ensure the absence of asbestos fibers from consumer talc products.” The Council developed a test for asbestos in talc known as the J4-1 method as part of these quality control measures. However, we now know that talc has never been free from asbestos.The testing developed by the Council was also part of a voluntary, self-policing regulatory system. A new case study from New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy reveals that the cosmetic industry has placed a great deal of pressure on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a fifty-year campaign to avoid regulation of cosmetic talc. As a result, talc companies’ actions and FDA inaction have had a lasting effect on consumer health. The case study concludes:There were significant downstream consequences well into the twenty-first century for scientific practice, regulation at agencies other than FDA, and public health. While concerted action on the part of industry to hide the asbestos content of talc over the course of fifty years is apparent, our review also questions the FDA’s role in sustaining scientific uncertainty around an important public health concern.
You Need Experienced Legal Guidance
If you’re facing a cancer diagnosis, or someone you love faces one after using talc products, we may be able to help. Call the Madeksho Law Firm at 1-888-910-6376 or contact us online. Your first consultation is free, and you never pay a fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
