Johnson & Johnson recall asbestos-embellished baby powder
Johnson & Johnson remembers a shipment of baby powder after the Food and Drug Administration discovered evidence of asbestos, the company said on Friday, after months of denying the presence of carcinogens in its talk-based products.
a test, the regulator found trace values of chrysotile asbestos in samples from a bottle of baby powder purchased from an online retailer, Johnson & Johnson said.
Ernie Knewitz, a spokesman for Johnson & Johnson, said the recalled party, # 22318RB, involves 33,000 bottles sold by an unidentified dealer. The recall is the first time Johnson & Johnson has ever pulled baby powder from the market, he said.
The company said it is triggering the recall in the United States "with a plethora of caution." The move comes as Johnson & Johnson avert thousands of lawsuits filed by people claiming baby powder and other talcum-based products led them to develop cancer. Some have mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that is considered the signature disease when exposed to asbestos, while others have ovarian cancer, which has also been linked to asbestos.
A New York Times study last year found that Johnson & Johnson executives were aware of the risks of asbestos pollution in talc for decades, but did not warn consumers. Internal notes and reports published during lawsuits against the company document the leaders' concern about potential pollution dating back 50 years.
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The recalled baby powder was produced and shipped last year. The company said it has started "a rigorous, thorough investigation of the matter" and is cooperating with the F.D.A. to "determine the integrity of the tested sample and the validity of the test results."
The company added that "thousands of tests over the last 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talk products do not contain asbestos."
The recall "will undermine Johnson & Johnson's defense requirements," causing the company to "lose more suits or pay more to fix," said Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan University professor studying business management.
[ThousandsofpeoplehavepleadedguiltytoJohnson&Johnson'sbabypowderforyearstosearchthecompanyafterdevelopingcancer "The Weekly", our new TV show, is investigating their allegations .]
