J & J Faces Criminal Probe over Asbestos in Baby Powder

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation to determine if Johnson & Johnson misled the public about the possible presence of asbestos fibers and the resulting cancer risk in its talcum powder. According to Bloomberg News, a federal grand jury is examining whether company officials knew and denied their product once contained trace amounts of the toxic mineral. An ongoing regulatory investigation and thousands of lawsuits have coincided with the latest probe of the pharmaceutical giant. Johnson & Johnson is the world’s largest manufacturer of talc products, including its iconic Baby Powder. The company announced in February, in its annual report to investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission, that it has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice as part of an investigation. Its report, though, did not include whether the subpoenas were for criminal or civil matters. Bloomberg broke the news that the probe involved criminal charges and a U.S. grand jury. Department of Justice officials declined comment. Johnson & Johnson Claims Nothing New Johnson & Johnson issued a statement that the company was continuing to cooperate with the Department of Justice investigation. “The key documents on this issue have been publicly available for months on our website. The documents establish that Johnson’s Baby Powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer,” the statement said. “The implication that there has been a new develop...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news