FDA panel reiterates the cancer risks of talc

A panel of medical experts convened by the FDA urged the agency to study and adopt new standards to prohibit the use of talc in consumer products such as gum, candy, rice and pharmaceuticals. Many of the experts cited the more than 30 years of studies showing an association between talc use and ovarian cancer, which led Johnson & Johnson to remove the company’s iconic body powders from the market in recent years. Since that time, more than 40 studies have been published supporting those findings. In addition, hundreds of tests, including those conducted by the FDA, have revealed the presence of asbestos in cosmetic talc, further increasing the carcinogenic risk of any talc exposure.