As consumers, we put our faith in brands to provide us with safe products. Yet, when it comes to cosmetics and other personal care products the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually doesn’t require testing. Johnson & Johnson is a brand most of us recognize. What you might not know is that they have been the target of over 100,000 lawsuits. This is for serious issues with not just one, but multiple products they sell. In the latest trust-killing incident, the FDA discovered asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder. As a result, the company recalled 33,000 bottles of the product. (1)

Stop Using The Powder

When the FDA told Johnson & Johnson they found trace levels of chrysotile asbestos in a bottle of baby powder, they pulled the lot in question from stores. At the same time, the FDA told consumers to stop using the powder. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, was found in the product which was sourced from China. It represents yet another reason consumer trust is waning when it comes to the company. (1)

Talc And Asbestos Contamination

You see, the company already faces a lawsuit regarding their baby powder. Over 15,000 people claim Johnson & Johnson failed to warn customers their baby powder could be contaminated with asbestos. In fact, a New York Times investigation found executives had known as far back as 50-years there were concerns about potential contamination. (1)

Questioning Test Integrity

Johnson & Johnson is adamant the product is safe stating “thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos.” In fact, in regard to the latest incident, the company stated they are working with the FDA to “determine the integrity of the tested sample and the validity of the test results.” (1)

According to Dr. Susan Nicholson, vice president of women’s health for Johnson & Johnson the FDA’s report showed “an extremely unusual finding” that was “inconsistent with our testing to date.” However, FDA spokesperson, Gloria Sánchez-Contreras says they stand by their tests and its results. (1)

Talc And Asbestos

Talc is a natural mineral, formed much like asbestos. Because of this, talc can be mined from veins that contain asbestos. Although in the latest finding the asbestos amount was very low, no level of asbestos exposure is safe according to the National Cancer Institute.  (1, 2)

Loss Of Trust

According to analysts, the lawsuits could cost the company an estimated $5 to $10 billion. Although baby powder is almost insignificant in the big picture of their sales, the fact it is a baby product could have a disproportionate effect on their overall reputation. In fact, University of Michigan business professor Erik Gordon feels the latest recall could lead to even more lawsuits. The fact shares dropped more than 6% following the latest news could be a sign things might not go their way. (1)

“It’s about trust: If a mother could trust a Johnson & Johnson product for their children, then that product must be safe,” Alla Valente, an analyst with Forrester. “But now, the dam is finally breaking, where consumers are saying that enough is enough.” (1)