Johnson & Johnson Rushed Tests of Asbestos in Baby Powder

A new report reveals Johnson & Johnson rushed the test results of its iconic baby powder to show it was free of asbestos contamination. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that two independent laboratories found no evidence of asbestos in the same recalled lot of baby powder used in the U.S Food and Drug Administration report last month. But evidence shows the quick turnaround on the tests may have impacted results. One of those laboratories, commissioned by J&J after the FDA report, initially found asbestos in the talc sample, but quickly recanted. It told J&J the sample had been contaminated by the air-conditioning unit inside the testing room, according to a letter to J&J that was obtained by the Journal. Controversy on the topic will continue. Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health conditions later in life, including mesothelioma, a rare cancer with no cure. Laboratory Blames J&J for Rushing Tests The company, RJ Lee Group from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, blamed the mistake on J&J’s urgency for test results. The lab-testing firm had deviated from its usual testing techniques, moving the talc to a room normally used to analyze gunshot residue in criminal investigations, according to the Journal. Follow-up tests by the laboratory showed no asbestos contamination in samples from the bottle tested by the FDA. Bureau Veritas North America Inc., another lab-testing firm in Kennesaw, Georgia, also found no evidence of asbestos in the t...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news