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Some Johnson's Baby Powder Recalled After Positive Asbestos Test

Parent company Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. says it has rigorous testing in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing and found no asbestos last month, it said

What to Know

  • Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. said it was voluntarily recalling a single lot of its Johnson's Baby Powder over a positive asbestos test
  • The sub-trace levels were found in samples from one bottle bought from an online retailer, the company said
  • JJCI has rigorous testing in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing and found no asbestos last month, it said

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. said it was voluntarily recalling a single lot of its Johnson's Baby Powder in response to a federal test indicating the presence of "sub-trace" levels of asbestos, the company said in a statement Friday. 

The sub-trace levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination (no greater than 0.00002 percent) were found in samples from one bottle bought from an online retailer, the company said. 

The company said it is fully cooperating with the FDA and has initiated a rigorous, thorough investigation, working with federal authorities to determine the integrity of the tested sample and the validity of the test results.

At this early stage of the investigation, JJCI says it: 

  • Cannot confirm if cross-contamination of the sample caused a false positive.
  • Cannot confirm whether the sample was taken from a bottle with an intact seal or whether the sample was prepared in a controlled environment.
  • Cannot confirm whether the tested product is authentic or counterfeit.

JJCI has a rigorous testing standard in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing, including the FDA's own testing on prior occasions -- and as recently as last month -- found no asbestos, the company said.

"Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos. Our talc comes from ore sources confirmed to meet our stringent specifications that exceed industry standards," JJCI said in a statement. "Not only do we and our suppliers routinely test to ensure our talc does not contain asbestos, our talc has also been tested and confirmed to be asbestos-free by a range of independent laboratories, universities and global health authorities."

If you or someone you provide care for owns a bottle of Johnson's Baby Powder Lot #22318RB, you are advised to discontinue use of the product. For refund information, contact the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Care Center at www.johnsonsbaby.com or by calling +1 (866) 565-2229.

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