Asbestos in talc documented with new information

This blog has written in the past about lawsuits based on the allegation that a number of cosmetic products that use talc as a principle ingredient also contain halable asbestos fibers. Recent investigations are providing additional information to support these allegations of asbestos product exposure.

One of the chief culprits may be the United States Food and Drug Administration. This agency is charged with approving or rejecting drugs and cosmetic products for used by the public. A recent investigation by the magazine Fair Warning found documents showing that FDA officials were disturbed by the lack of tests unable to detect asbestos fibers in talc but that these officials did nothing to make their concerns public. Two prestigious technical organizations – the Association for Testing and Materials and the U. S. Pharmacopeial Convention – are presently looking into more sensitive tests to detect asbestos in talc. Another problem is posed by talc imported from developing nations. China nad Pakistan together ship about 150,000 tons of talc per year into the United States, and no government agency keeps track of the producers or users of the imported talc.

Colgate-Palmolive Co. has been one of the principal targets of claims that talc in its products contain asbestos. Despite the company’s repeated denials of this allegations, repeated examinations of Cashmere Bouquet, one of its most popular products, have found asbestos fibers in as many as 50 containers of the product.

Asbestos-containing products still poses a major environmental health hazard. Anyone who thinks that they may have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers may wish to obtain a medical evaluation of the possible consequences of this exposure. Anyone who receives a positive diagnosis may wish to talk to a lawyer who specializes in asbestos litigation for an assessment of the case and an estimate of the likelihood of the possibility of recovering damages from the responsible parties.

Source: Fair Warning, “The Hard Truth About the Softest Mineral: Tougher Testing Sought to Detect Asbestos in Talc,” Myron Levin, Sept. 8, 2015