Johnson & Johnson has recalled one lot of its baby powder products that tested positive for asbestos and the FDA has advised consumers not to use any baby powder from this specific lot.
By now, we are all aware of the Johnson & Johnson baby powder lawsuits that began several years ago. Juries in several different states have hit J&J with large verdicts ($4 billion, $417 million, $325 million, $117 million, $72 million and $37 million) in cases where the plaintiffs claimed that they have developed cancer from asbestos, a known cancer-causing agent, found in the J&J baby powder.
At trial, J&J claimed that their baby powder contains no asbestos. The juries seem to disagree with J&J and it seems that the FDA’s testing lab doesn’t agree with them either, at least for the lot of baby powder recently tested by the FDA.
Even more shocking is that the FDA’s announcement regarding the discovery of asbestos in baby powder came less than two weeks after the J&J CEO stated in a deposition that “We unequivocally believe that our talc and our baby powder does not contain asbestos.”
Talc is an ingredient used in many cosmetic products, such as baby powder and blush. The FDA has been conducting ongoing research into the potential contamination of talc with asbestos.
Researchers have suspected that talcum powder could be one potential source of asbestos exposure because both minerals are mined from the earth, and sometimes asbestos and talc deposits overlap. Evidence presented in numerous lawsuits has shown that the baby powder (talcum powder) becomes contaminated with dangerous asbestos particles during the talc mining process.
If you or a loved one has suffered from ovarian cancer or mesothelioma that you believe may be related to the use of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder or Shower-to-Shower powder, contact the lawyers at Braswell Murphy, LLC for a free consultation.
