Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday that it would stop selling its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the United States and Canada. The decision was made after the company did a consumer products “portfolio reassessment related to COVID-19.”
“Demand for talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in North America has been declining due in large part to changes in consumer habits and fueled by misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising,” the company said
J&J has been dogged with more than 19,000 lawsuits from consumers claiming its talc-based products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder, contain traces of asbestos that causes cancer. The majority are pending before a U.S. district judge in the state of New Jersey.
The consumer and healthcare conglomerate stays firm that its products do not cause such illness. “Decades of scientific studies by medical experts around the world support the safety of our product,” it said in a statement. “We will continue to vigorously defend the product, its safety, and the unfounded allegations against it and the company in the courtroom.”
J&J said it would sell all its existing stocks of the talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada through retailers until it runs out and will continue to sell it in other markets around the world. The Johnson & Johnson’s cornstarch-based baby powder will still be available in the U.S. and Canada
Reference:
Photo credit:
Bottles of Johnson’s baby powder are displayed in a store in New York City, U.S., January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-babypowder/johnson-johnson-to-stop-selling-talc-baby-powder-in-u-s-and-canada-idUSKBN22V32U