Johnson & Johnson recalls baby powder over asbestos contamination

Johnson & Johnson has issued a voluntary recall of its baby powder after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified chrysotile fibres, a type of asbestos, in one lot of the product.

The agency is urging customers, who have purchased Johnson’s Baby Powder lot #22318RB, to stop using it immediately and contact the company for a refund.

However, the agency noted that it has not yet received any reports regarding adverse events relating to exposure to the affected products.

According to FDA, the talc may get contaminated with asbestos if mining sites are not selected carefully and the talc ore is not purified to a proper extent.

FDA acting commissioner Ned Sharpless said: “I understand today’s recall may be concerning to all those individuals who may have used the affected lot of baby powder.

“I want to assure everyone that the agency takes these concerns seriously and that we are committed to our mandate of protecting the public health.

“The FDA continues to test cosmetic products that contain talc for the presence of asbestos to protect Americans from potential health risks.”

The agency has tested a total of around 50 cosmetic products for asbestos since last year.

It has also tested two samples of Johnson’s Baby Powder during the period, of which, one sample from lot #22318RB was found to be asbestos positive.

In addition, the FDA is planning to release the full results of its investigation covering both positive and negative results of the tests by the end of the year.

The agency is also asking health care professionals and consumers to report any adverse events associated with the use of any cosmetic product to its MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme.