For the first time in nearly 50 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will examine asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics at a hearing on [ February 4, 2020 ].
Regulators are taking a closer look [ at asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics ] after finding asbestos, a known carcinogen, in several talc cosmetics and powders, including a bottle of Johnson & Johnson’s well-known Baby Powder. Citing those FDA results, some U.S. lawmakers and consumer advocates have called for stricter safety regulations to protect public health.
J&J, the market leader in talc powders, has defended the safety of its talc. The company said tests by labs it hired found no asbestos in samples from the same bottle the FDA examined – except for some the company attributed to contamination from a lab air conditioner.
In a statement, the company said it looks forward to the FDA’s “thorough review of the most effective and reliable ways to test for asbestos in cosmetic talc.”
The hearing on [ asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics ], the FDA’s first since 1971, will focus on testing standards recommended by a panel of government experts. The recommendations, published last month, embrace positions held by public health authorities and experts for plaintiffs who allege that contaminated talc products caused their cancers.
After hearing from the government panel, FDA officials will take public comment from consumer advocates, industry representatives and testing experts.
For decades, the cosmetic talc industry has largely been allowed to police itself with little oversight from the FDA. Although talc and asbestos are similar minerals often found together in the ground, the FDA has never required manufacturers to test for the carcinogen.
In a written report, the government panel said the talc industry’s standard test methods have “long-recognized shortcomings in specificity and sensitivity.”
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