Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talc-based baby powder globally

US-based pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on Thursday announced that it plans to stop selling its talc-based baby powder in 2023.

The announcement comes more than two years after J&J ended sales of the product in the US and Canada. In a statement, the company said it will be shifting from talc-based powders to cornstarch-based baby powder.

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“As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio,” read the company’s statement.

The company added that the cornstarch-based baby powder is already sold in countries around the globe.

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For years, J&J talcum powders have been at the center of controversy. The company faces thousands of lawsuits from women who allege its talcum powder contained asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer. It faces more than 40,000 lawsuits in the US over its talcum powders, according to a company filing last month with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

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However, the pharma giant maintained its stand that decades of research shows that the product is safe to use, despite the termination of the sales.

“Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms talc-based J&J Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” it said.

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According to a 2018 Reuters report, J&J knew for decades that asbestos was present in its talc-based products and its harmful effects. The internal memos circulated within the company, trial testimony, and other evidence showed that J&J’s raw talcum products tested positive for small amounts of asbestos.

However, the company doubled down on its sales by targeting the African American and overweight women market. It has continuously denied the allegations made in the courtrooms and in media reports.

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In October 2021, J&J created a subsidiary, LTL Management LLC, assigning its baby powder claims to it. Later, it sought bankruptcy protection after arguing that it was struggling to contain the lawsuits and managed to receive the court’s approval for it. In case of bankruptcy, individual lawsuits are put on hold and thus J&J managed to evade the legal process by using a loophole.

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Before the bankruptcy filing, the company had incurred costs of $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, including one in which 22 women were awarded a judgment of more than $2 billion.

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For almost 130 years, Johnson’s Baby Powder has symbolized the company’s family-friendly image, although the baby powder accounted for only about 0.5% of its US consumer health business when the company ceased its business.