Johnson & Johnson began voluntary recall of one of its products after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found traces of cancer-causing asbestos, the company said Friday.
The company said it issued the decision as an "increase in caution," as the amount of asbestos found was very low, limited to specific samples of one packet of baby powder.
Asbestos is known as a carcinogen associated with cancer, causing mesothelioma. Tens of thousands of people have sued the company, claiming that long-term exposure to the substance in the baby powder has led to cancer that affects the lining of the chest.
The reported contamination is 0.00002% of asbestos, which is a lower level which may cause any adverse effect, but this is evidence for some of the carcinogen in the product.
The company said that the US Food and Drug Administration discovered harmful asbestos in samples obtained from a package purchased from the Internet, which makes it investigate the matter to confirm the results, and whether the package is already belonging to it or fake, especially as it confirms its compliance with safety standards To ensure the safety of their products.
Citing a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) test report last month, Johnson & Johnson said its products do not contain asbestos on a large scale, but its stock prices fell 2.6% before the weekday trading, suggesting the public might respond. According to the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of Americans have developed mesothelioma, a rare cancer in tissue that lines and protects certain organs, including the lungs and chest cavity. For decades, the company claimed that its products were free of this carcinogen, but an investigation published by Reuters last year suggested that this was not always the case. From 1971 to early 2000, baby powder tests proved Periodically, they contain small amounts of asbestos.
Since the discovery of the substance in baby powder, more than 13,000 lawsuits have been filed against the company, whose owners claimed that the product led to cancer; and even death.
Many of these lawsuits cost Johnson & Johnson billions of dollars in settlement and fines.