Johnson n Johnson Says 15 Tests Show No Asbestos From The Same Bottle Of Baby Powder

WASHINGTON, 29 OCT 2019:

Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that 15 new tests from the same bottle of Johnson's Baby Powder previously tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no asbestos in the product. An additional 48 new laboratory tests of samples from Johnson's Baby Powder recalled earlier this month also confirmed the product doesn't contain asbestos, the company added.

Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson recalled 33,000 bottles of Baby Powder after regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in a single bottle purchased online. The recall prompted retailers including CVS, Rite Aid and Walmart to halt sales of 22-ounce bottles of the product.

The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company's latest announcement reiterates its previous claims that there is no science to back alleged links between its powder and cancer.

"These tests were conducted by two third-party laboratories as part of the company's ongoing testing and investigation," the company said in a news release.

Following the voluntary recall, the Company contracted two third-party laboratories to expedite a large number of tests of the recalled lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder utilizing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) testing.

J&J said it hired the laboratories to test the recalled lot of Baby Powder. One of the labs changed its usual protocol by testing in an auxiliary room, where several samples tested positive for asbestos — but J&J said it was discovered that a portable air conditioner in the auxiliary room was contaminated with asbestos. Samples tested in the lab's standard room didn't test positive for asbestos.

"This finding underscores the importance of investigating any positive test result," Johnson & Johnson said. "Even when careful safeguards are followed, asbestos contamination may be introduced during sample division, storage, preparation and analysis."

This finding underscores the importance of investigating any positive test result. Even when careful safeguards are followed, asbestos contamination may be introduced during sample division, storage, preparation and analysis, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials, an International Standards Organization that identifies contamination as a concern in asbestos analysis (ASTM 6620-19, Standard Practice for Asbestos Detection Limit Based on Counts, at 5.1.3(ii)).

The Company has posted reports of its testing discussed above. These can be accessed on FactsAboutTalc.com. 

The company's statement is its latest in response to thousands of lawsuits claiming the talc-based powder contains asbestos. Last year, a jury awarded $4.7 billion in total damages to 22 women and their families after they claimed asbestos in the talcum powder contributed to their ovarian cancer. J&J is appealing the judgement and has won several other court cases alleging liability and damages. CBS News