Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talc-based baby powder

Johnson & Johnson, once the market leader in baby powder, is to stop global sales of talc-based baby powder in 2023 following thousands of consumer safety lawsuits.

The announcement comes more than two years after it ended sales in the United States and Canada. The company faces around 38,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos.

Demand for the product decreased after it was spread that it could cause cancer. As a result, J&J announced in 2020 that it would discontinue the sale of talc baby powder in the US and Canada.

However, the company denies the allegations, saying that decades of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have proven that its talc is safe and asbestos-free.

“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio,” J&J said.