Johnson & Johnson, the American multinational known for everyday personal care products, is facing significant legal challenges. The company, which produces items such as baby powders, shampoos, body oils, and hair oils, has been accused of distributing infant products containing harmful substances. Victims claim that Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder contains asbestos, a known carcinogen, and more than 3,000 individuals in the United Kingdom have been affected. Legal action has been filed against the company for selling products alleged to be unsafe.

The main ingredient in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder is talc, a mineral naturally found in the earth. Asbestos is often discovered near talc deposits, raising concerns about contamination during mining. According to the claims made in court, the company’s products also contain fibrous minerals such as tremolite and actinolite, which are classified as forms of asbestos.

The lawsuit further contends that internal company documents and scientific studies show traces of asbestos in their baby powder as far back as the early 1960s. It is alleged that Johnson & Johnson was aware of these findings. Reports indicate that asbestos fibers were again detected in the 1970s, yet the company continued to market the product as safe, without issuing any warnings. Experts warn that exposure to asbestos can result in severe health conditions, including mesothelioma, a serious cancer of the lining of internal organs, and ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson has firmly denied these allegations, maintaining that its products have always met regulatory standards and have never contained asbestos. The company asserts that its baby powder is not linked to cancer. Nonetheless, the lawsuit seeks compensation in the hundreds of millions of pounds (equivalent to thousands of crores in Indian currency) and could potentially become one of the largest legal cases in British history.

In the United States, Johnson & Johnson is facing similar legal pressures. More than 67,000 lawsuits have been filed against the company, with some cases resulting in significant settlements, including a $966 million payout. Amid these legal challenges, the company withdrew its talc-based baby powder from the US market in 2020 and plans to remove it from the UK market in 2023, replacing it with a cornstarch-based version.