Johnson & Johnson is recalling a single lot of its baby powder as a precaution after government testing found trace amounts of asbestos in one bottle bought online.
The recall comes as J&J fights thousands of lawsuits in which plaintiffs claim its iconic baby powder was contaminated with asbestos and that it caused ovarian cancer or another rare cancer. At multiple trials, J&J experts have testified asbestos hasn't been detected in the talc in its baby powder in many tests over 40 years.
On Friday, J&J said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found minuscule amounts of asbestos in one bottle. The company is investigating whether the bottle is counterfeit and how the contamination occurred.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, a spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson says the recall in only in effect in the U.S. market.
“The safety of those who use our products is our top priority, and we determined to initiate the voluntary recall of a single lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder out of an abundance of caution. In parallel, we are conducting a rigorous, thorough investigation into this matter, including working with the FDA to determine integrity of the sample tested and validity of the test results. Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos and we are determined to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. For 133 years, Johnson & Johnson has been committed to putting the needs and well-being of the people we serve first, and we will continue to do so,” the statement reads.
The recalled lot contained 33,000 bottles.
J&J shares dropped 4% to $130.86.
