Johnson & Johnson drops talc based baby powder in 2023, shifts to cornstarch

Johnson & Johnson said it plans to stop selling its legacy talc-based baby-powder products globally in 2023, a move that comes amid continued legal battles and years after the company discontinued the product in the US and Canada. J&J said Thursday that it had made the “commercial decision” to transition all its baby powder products to use cornstarch instead of talcum powder after conducting an assessment of its portfolio. “After decades of selling talc-based products the company knew could cause deadly cancers to unsuspecting women and men around the world, J&J has finally done the right thing,” Leigh O’Dell, a lawyer for former talc users, said in an emailed statement Thursday. J&J said Thursday that its “position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged.” The health conglomerate has spent years seeking ways to contain its legal liabilities. A federal appeals court in Philadelphia will hear plaintiffs’ arguments Sept. 19 that the move amounted to a “bad faith” bankruptcy filing because they contend J&J’s financial position wasn’t threatened by the talc litigation.