J&J to end global sales of talc-based baby powder

The company has made a commercial decision to transition to an all-cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio.

2 years after ending sales in the US, Johnson & Johnson on Thursday announced to discontinue selling talc-based baby powder globally in 2023.

Reportedly, the drug maker drew thousands of consumer safety lawsuits.

On the contrary, as part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, the company has made a commercial decision to transition to an all-cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio.

The cornstarch-based baby powder is already sold in countries around the world.

In 2020, J&J announced that it would stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the United States and Canada because demand had fallen in the wake of what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid a barrage of legal challenges.

The company faces about 38,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, a known carcinogen.

However, J&J denied the allegations, saying decades of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free.

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