Johnson & Johnson has introduced it should cease promoting talc-based child powder globally in 2023, greater than two years after it ended US gross sales as a consequence of 1000’s of shopper security lawsuits.
“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all corn starch-based baby powder portfolio,” it mentioned, including that corn starch-based child powder is already offered in international locations world wide.
In 2020, J&J introduced that it will cease promoting its talc Baby Powder within the United States and Canada as a result of demand had fallen within the wake of what it referred to as “misinformation” concerning the product’s security amid a barrage of authorized challenges.
The firm faces about 38,000 lawsuits from shoppers and their survivors claiming its talc merchandise precipitated most cancers as a consequence of contamination with asbestos, a recognized carcinogen.
J&J denies the allegations, saying many years of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have proven its talc to be protected
and asbestos-free.
On Thursday, it reiterated the assertion because it introduced the discontinuation of the product.
Sold since 1894, Johnson’s Baby Powder grew to become an emblem of the corporate’s family-friendly picture.
But talcum powder has fallen out of favour with mother and father who are actually selecting merchandise which comprise different pure components to make use of on their infants’ pores and skin.
In October, J&J spun off subsidiary LTL Management, assigned its talc claims to it and instantly positioned it out of business, pausing the pending lawsuits.
Before the chapter submitting, the corporate confronted prices from $3.5bn (£2.87bn) in verdicts and settlements, together with one through which 22 girls have been awarded a judgment of greater than $2bn (£1.64bn), in line with chapter courtroom information.
A shareholder proposal calling for an finish to international gross sales of the talc child powder failed in April.
A 2018 Reuters investigation discovered that J&J knew for many years that asbestos, a carcinogen, was current in its talc merchandise.
Internal firm information, trial testimony and different proof confirmed that from at the least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&J’s uncooked talc and completed powders typically examined optimistic for small quantities of asbestos.
In response to proof of asbestos contamination offered in media experiences, within the courtroom room and on Capitol Hill, J&J has repeatedly mentioned its talc merchandise are protected, and don’t trigger most cancers.
Source: information.sky.com”