Johnson & Johnson Find No Asbestos In Their Talcum Powder Tests

Different samples may yield different results given the minuscule size of samples taken from a single bottle

Monday, November 4, 2019 - Johnson & Johnson announced that their scientific testing of Johnson's Baby Powder found no asbestos contradicting the recent findings of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bottles examined by the company were those of the same batch as the one containing asbestos a known carcinogen. The company also tested talc taken from the same bottle as the FDA tested that tested positive. The FDA quickly defended the science behind their talc tests and pointed out that the logic behind Johnson & Johnson's claim of no asbestos was inaccurate. "given the minuscule size of samples taken from a single bottle, different samples may yield different results," the FDA countered. The talcum powder cancer lawsuit attorneys have extensive experience handling pharmaceutical litigations and a winning track record against corporations and conglamorates phamaceutical companies and offer a no obligation free consultation.

The FDA had previously announced that they found small traces of asbestos in the samples the agency had tested that were taken from bottles of baby powder procured over the internet. Older, unopened bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder can be purchased from collectors. Johnson & Johnson immediately recalled all 33,000 bottles in the batch were a microscopic trace amount of asbestos was allegedly found exercising "an abundance of caution" a Johnson & Johnson company spokesperson put it. The voluntary company recall was followed up by major retailers Walmart, CVS, and Rite Aid removing bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder from their store shelves. It should be noted that only the 22-oz. bottles of Johnson's lot #22318RB were removed.

Talc is mined near what were once asbestos mines in the United States, Italy and China and experts speculate that cross-contamination with asbestos was likely to occur. Mining operations would make asbestos easier to remove from the earth by first blowing it into dust with explosives and creating a dust cloud that could travel in the direction of the prevailing wind, possibly landing on nearby talc mining operations. Mesothelioma.com summarized the relationship between mining the two minerals by saying: "Because talc is often naturally found near asbestos in the earth, the talc can easily become contaminated by the toxin while being mined. In recent years, this has led to much concern over exposure to contaminated talcum powder products, which have been linked to cases of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and ovarian cancer."

Before the recent FDA finding, Johnson & Johnson have repeated the defense that thousands of independent tests have failed to find asbestos and repeated that Johnson's Baby Powder was pure and safe. The company's statements, however, conflict with expert witness testimony on behalf of plaintiffs who are dying from ovarian cancer and mesothelioma and who claim that using Johnson's Baby Powder daily, sometimes many times per day, regularly, and for decades led to their developing cancer. Experts not only alleged to have found particles of asbestos in the talc they sampled but also point out that asbestos and talc are both inert minerals taken from the earth that can become trapped in the ovaries and lungs and bioaccumulate to levels that cause irritation sufficient to contribute to developing cancer. Scientists studying the health-damaging effects of asbestos insist that no level of asbestos is safe, no matter how small. This is particularly true of a product that is used daily for many years.