Trace amounts of asbestos found in a bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby powder led to a voluntary recall today by the company. It includes 33,000 bottles of baby powder from a product lot #22318RB released in 2018. The contaminated bottle was purchased online and tested by US health regulators.
A report from Reuters noted that Johnson & Johnson received a report from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday, alerting them to the asbestos finding. Per Johnson & Johnson, the FDA test indicated “no greater than 0.00002% of chrysotile asbestos” was found in the sample.
An immediate investigation was launched, as was the recall. The company is determining where that particular product lot was shipped.
In a statement on its website, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (JJCI) said at this stage of the investigation it:
- Cannot confirm if cross-contamination of the sample caused a false positive.
- Cannot confirm whether the sample was taken from a bottle with an intact seal or whether the sample was prepared in a controlled environment.
- Cannot confirm whether the tested product is authentic or counterfeit.
The release went on to say, “JJCI has a rigorous testing standard in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing, including the FDA’s own testing on prior occasions–and as recently as last month–found no asbestos. Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos. Our talc comes from ore sources confirmed to meet our stringent specifications that exceed industry standards. Not only do we and our suppliers routinely test to ensure our talc does not contain asbestos, our talc has also been tested and confirmed to be asbestos-free by a range of independent laboratories, universities and global health authorities.”
Asbestos is a carcinogen linked to mesothelioma. According to asbestos.com, “Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor caused by inhaled asbestos fibers and forms in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. Symptoms can include shortness of breath and chest pain. The life expectancy for most mesothelioma patients is approximately 12 months after diagnosis.” Johnson & Johnson currently has 15,000 pending lawsuits from plaintiffs claiming use of its talc products caused cancer.
Anyone with a bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby powder from lot #22318RB is being told to discontinue its use and to contact the company for a refund. For refund information, contact the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Care Center at www.johnsonsbaby.com or by calling +1 (866) 565-2229.
Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Recall — Sources
Johnson & Johnson: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. to Voluntarily Recall A Single Lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder in The United States
Reuters on AOL News: Johnson & Johnson to recall baby powder as FDA finds traces of asbestos
CBS New York: Johnson & Johnson Recalls Baby Powder Due To Asbestos Concerns
