Recently, The US Food and Drug Administration is preparing to withdraw a long-awaited proposal that would have required mandatory asbestos testing in talc-based cosmetics—an unexpected reversal that has stunned health advocates. The move follows an order signed by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, who directed the agency to pull back the proposed rule despite MAHA’s stated mission to eliminate toxins from consumer products.
The proposed regulation sought to address longstanding concerns that talc, a common ingredient in cosmetics, personal care products, medicines and foods, can be contaminated with asbestos, a known human carcinogen linked to an estimated 40,000 deaths each year. Asbestos exposure is unsafe at any level and is banned in more than 50 countries. Yet in a notice posted to the federal register, the FDA wrote that “good cause exists” to withdraw the proposal, citing industry concerns about “unintended consequences,” particularly for pharmaceutical manufacturers—an indication that drugmakers opposed the additional testing requirements.
The decision has triggered sharp criticism from public health advocates who have spent decades urging stricter oversight of talc. “Nothing could make America less healthy than having a cancer-causing product in cosmetics,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, which has long pushed for more rigorous testing standards. “It’s hard to understand why we would revoke a rule that simply requires companies to test for asbestos.”
Over the years, asbestos contamination has repeatedly been found in talc-based products, including baby powder, which has been disproportionately used by Black women. Johnson & Johnson halted US talc-based baby powder sales in 2020 amid growing scrutiny and has faced nearly 38,000 lawsuits alleging harm, paying billions in settlements and proposing an additional $6.5 billion to resolve a broader class action. Similar allegations recently surfaced in the UK, where about 3,000 women have brought a case against the company.
