THE FACT THAT? Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary
face a major legal action in the United Kingdom involving 3,000 plaintiffs who allege the company knowingly sold talc-based baby powder contaminated with asbestos, contributing to cases of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
THE DETAILS The class action lawsuit, led by KP Law, cites internal company documents and scientific reports from the early 1960s that suggest J&J was aware that its talc products could contain fibrous minerals such as tremolite and actinolite, both classified as asbestos in their fibrous form.
It was later claimed that J&J continued to market baby powder as safe and pure, while minimizing contamination risks and influencing American regulatory standards to allow trace amounts of asbestos tolerance. The product was withdrawn from the UK market in 2023, three years after US sales ended.
J&J denies the allegations and maintains that its baby powder complied with regulations and did not contain asbestos. The company and Kenvue cite decades of testing by independent laboratories and health authorities to support their defense.
The compensation sought could run into hundreds of millions of pounds, potentially making it the largest product liability case in UK history. The action reflects extensive litigation in the United States, where similar claims have led to multimillion-dollar judgments against J&J.
THE WHY? The case highlights growing legal and reputational risks for multinational beauty and personal care manufacturers around product safety transparency and historical ingredient testing practices. It also reflects increased global regulatory scrutiny of talc-based formulations, as consumers and courts question long-standing safety claims.
Fountain: bbc
