More than 40,000 lawsuits have been filed against the company, about the baby powder's potential links to cancer and claims that the talc in the product can be contaminated by asbestos. While it has been pulled from shelves in North America, sales continue in Asia and South America
Johnson & Johnson’s shareholders on Thursday voted against a proposal to discontinue sales of its talc baby powder around the world as the consumer goods giant tries to shield itself from tens of thousands of lawsuits over the product.
The proposal, which failed to win a majority of votes at the company’s annual meeting, was fueled by concerns about the baby powder’s potential links to cancer and claims that the talc in the product can be contaminated by asbestos. More than 40,000 lawsuits have been filed against the company, some including accusations that Johnson & Johnson marketed baby powder to Black and overweight women despite knowing about possible asbestos contamination for decades.
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