Johnson & Johnson to end sale of talc-based baby powder globally in 2023
Johnson & Johnson maintains that the talc-based baby powder does not cause cancer
Johnson & Johnson will no longer sell its talc-based baby powder globally in 2023, the company said on Thursday, more than two years after it stopped selling the product in the United States and Canada.
"As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio," it said in a statement to Fox Business.
OVER 2K FLIGHTS DELAYED, OVER 600 CANCELED ON THURSDAY
In this photo illustration, a container of Johnson's baby powder made by Johnson and Johnson sits on a table. ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
In 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the United States and Canada, saying demand had fallen due to "misleading" information regarding the product's safety.
The company faces about 38,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, a known carcinogen.
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Johnson baby powder is displayed on a wooden table. | Getty Images
Johnson & Johnson denies the allegations, saying decades of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have shown its talc to be safe and that the product "does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer."
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Johnson & Johnson spun off subsidiary LTL Management in October, assigned its talc claims to it and immediately placed it into bankruptcy, pausing the pending lawsuits.
Reuters contributed to this report.