Due to the negative public perception of its Baby Talc Powder in the US, healthcare company Johnson & Johnson announced that it would no longer be selling the iconic product in the country. The company will however still be selling the talc-based baby powder, which it has been selling worldwide for more than 100 years, in the UK and other markets.
Johnson & Johnson stated that its sales in North America for the particular products have drastically shrunk after several users had alleged that the powder had led to them getting cancer. Close to 20,000 so far in the US have filed suits against the company. Johnson & Johnson has vehemently denied the accusations and strenuously defends its product's quality and safety.
The company recently filed an appeal against an order given in 2018, which asked it to pay a combined $4.7 billion in damages to 22 women who alleged developed ovarian cancer after using its talc-based baby powder.
The US Food and Drug Administration previously reported that it had found trace amounts of asbestos, a mineral that has been found to cause cancer, in Johnson & Johnson's baby powder product. In October last year, Johnson & Johnson stated that it had found no trace of the mineral on its talc-based powder after it had conducted its own tests.
The company mentioned in a recent statement that it remains confident in the safety of its products, including its talc-based baby powder. It added that decades of study and research went into the development of its products, which is why it can confidently say that it is not responsible for the cancers. The New Jersey-based firm exclaimed that credible legal and medical exports worldwide support its claims.
As for its decision to pull out the product in North America, Johnson & Johnson stated that the continued barrage of advertising by lawyers seeking class-action clients has further tarnished its product's reputation. For now, the products will still be available in some US and Canadian stores, but only until supplies last. Johnson & Johnson will still continue to sell its cornstarch-based powder in the US and Canada.
On Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson posted on its website that it is currently reevaluating some of its products in light of the change in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company stated that it will temporarily halt the shipment of about 100 products, including its baby powder, to the US and Canada. In the meantime, the company will be focusing its efforts on shipping high-demand products in order to allow its manufacturing facilities to adjust to the social distancing guidelines and new norms.
