Johnson & Johnson Will Discontinue Talc-Based Baby Powder Globally in 2023
The New York Times
by Tiffany Hsu and Roni Caryn Rabin
“Johnson & Johnson will start using cornstarch in all the baby powder it sells around the world, shifting away from the talcum powder that put the popular product at the center of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by customers.
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“Johnson & Johnson has sold cornstarch baby powder for decades, developing the version of the product in 1980 after consumer advocates raised concerns that talc contained traces of asbestos, a carcinogen. The company did not immediately respond to questions about how much talc baby powder remained on the market.
“’It’s kind of the no-brainer solution,’ said Alex Scranton, director of science and research at the environmental advocacy group Women’s Voices for the Earth. She noted that cornstarch was inexpensive, easy to obtain, and free from talc’s “toxic profile” and concerns about asbestos contamination.
“Women’s Voices for the Earth was one of nearly 200 organizations that participated in a campaign, led by Black Women for Wellness, to pressure Johnson & Johnson to strip talc-based products from shelves worldwide.”
