The US Food and Drug Administration has pulled back its plan that would have required asbestos testing for talc-containing cosmetics. The move follows an order from the Trump Administration tied to its “Making America Healthy Again” strategy. The original idea would have pushed manufacturers to test talc for asbestos contamination before putting it in products, keep proper records, and show they were following the rules. The FDA points out that the draft was aimed at cosmetics, though it could have had ripple effects on other consumer items like drugs and food additives. Toxic watchdog groups are not happy about the withdrawal.
Criticism from EWG and health concerns
Scott Faber, senior VP for Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group, calls the withdrawal “dangerous and irresponsible,” saying it needlessly exposes people to asbestos in personal care products. He adds that thousands of products with talc can contain asbestos, which he calls “one of the world’s deadliest substances.” According to him, testing for asbestos is the only way to be sure talc-based items are safe, and he argues that Congress clearly required the FDA to mandate such testing. He says the decision is illegal.
About the withdrawn proposal
The FDA’s proposal was titled “Testing Methods for Detecting and Identifying Asbestos in Talc-Containing Cosmetic Products” and was published in December last year. It would have required mandatory asbestos testing in talc-containing cosmetics, created standardized methods for personal care manufacturers, and supported consumer safety under section 3505 of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, or MoCRA. The statement announcing the withdrawal is set to appear in the Federal Register this week.
FDA explains its reasoning
The agency says the Make America Healthy Again priorities are based on keeping additives in the US food and drug supply safe. It says there are “good causes to withdraw the proposal at this moment,” pointing to “highly scientific” and technical concerns raised in public comments. The FDA also says asbestos testing is complex and has several legal implications under the Administrative Procedure Act. In its official statement, it writes that it is pulling back the rule to rethink the best way to handle these issues and lower asbestos exposure. The agency says it continues to work to protect consumers from harmful asbestos in cosmetics.
Risks known for decades
The Environmental Working Group says cosmetic companies have known about asbestos risks in talc since the 1950s. The industry still convinced the FDA to let companies rely on internal testing methods, which may miss some asbestos fibers. Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist at EWG, says inhaling even tiny amounts of asbestos in talc can cause mesothelioma and other deadly diseases many years later. She adds that it is hard to know how much talc people inhale or how often it’s contaminated, but one asbestos fiber lodged in the lungs can cause mesothelioma decades down the line.
Next steps and global context
The FDA says that even though the proposal is withdrawn now, it will issue a new proposed rule to meet the requirements under section 3505 of MoCRA. Personal Care Insights attended an FDA expert panel earlier this year, where scientists talked about the dangers of talc in cosmetics ahead of the EU’s talc ban coming in 2027. The international panel voted in favor of banning talc because of health risks. During that panel, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary said the US should follow the EU’s direction. He commented that talc may not be the main driver of chronic disease or cancer in young people, but the evidence suggests it is highly likely contributing to it.
Legal cases and industry fallout
Johnson & Johnson was recently ordered to pay nearly US$1 billion in another lawsuit linked to its talc-based products. The case was brought by the family of a woman in California who died from mesothelioma in 2021, and the family argued that asbestos in the company’s talc-based baby powder caused her cancer. The Lawsuit Information Center reports that Johnson & Johnson is currently facing more than 67,000 pending talc-related lawsuits across the US.
