J&J talc powder sold in Saudi Arabia is safe: SFDA

Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) on Monday confirmed that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby talcum powder sold in the Kingdom does not contain harmful asbestos.

The SFDA’s confirmation came after a person questioned the authority’s action, especially after Johnson & Johnson Company announced that it would cease production and sale of baby powder containing talc worldwide from 2023.

The SFDA has stated that asbestos is one of the banned substances on the list of safety bodies for cosmetic products approved in the Kingdom.

It has confirmed that it checks the safety of all products before entering the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its branches on all land, sea and airports.

On Thursday, August 11, Johnson & Johnson announced that it has decided to stop selling talc-based baby powder worldwide in 2023 amidst the tens of thousands of lawsuits from women who claim that the product caused them to have ovarian cancer, due to the alleged contamination of asbestos, a known carcinogen.