FDA Moves Closer to Standardized Testing for Asbestos in Talc

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved closer on Tuesday to formulating standardized testing of talc-based products for the presence of toxic asbestos fibers. Experts from eight different federal agencies explained earlier recommendations at a day-long hearing. The session also featured input from 25 members of the public, which included industry representatives, consumer advocates and testing experts. “Standards are needed,” said Dr. Paul Howard, FDA Office of Regulatory Science, during his presentation. “They just don’t exist at this time.” Dr. Linda Katz, director of the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Color, said the next step will be producing a white paper after reviewing all recommendations as an authoritative guide on the issue. “There are challenges in establishing the most suitable approach to testing for asbestos in cosmetic products,” Katz said. “We know there is confusing terminology. Data from different labs suffers from a lack of procedural standardization. There is a need for standardization.” FDA Pushed by Recent Findings of Asbestos This was the first official FDA hearing on asbestos in talc in almost 50 years. The FDA has intensified its oversight efforts after finding traces of asbestos mixed with talc in several different cosmetics and powders in the last two years. In October 2019, the agency found asbestos fibers in one bottle of Johnson’s Baby Powder, leading to a voluntary recall of the product. Johnson & Johnson, though, hire...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news