26/03/2020
Resourced From February 4, 2020
U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) PUBLIC MEETING: TESTING METHODS FOR ASBESTOS IN TALC AND
COSMETIC PRODUCTS CONTAINING TALC
Link so you can download this FULL PDF available at:
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-news-events/public-meeting-testing-methods-asbestos-talc-and-cosmetic-products-containing-talc-02042020-02042020?fbclid=IwAR08dLZlg7h5MzxR01TVxCXokwg-RM9fGt4c12155VGY6tOFAnEjm7V-oG4
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MS. KARI BARRETT: Thank you. Our
next speaker is Isabelle Chaudry, National Women's
Health Network.
MS. ISABELLE CHAUDRY: Thank you for
the opportunity to provide oral comment. My name
is Isabelle Chaudry, and I am here to speak on
behalf on the National Women's Health Network.
The National Women's Health Network
is supported by a national network of individual
members. We do not accept financial support from
drug or device makers or personal care product
manufacturers.
As a senior policy manager at the
National Women's Health Network, I lead our
organization's work to ensure that cosmetic
products are safe.
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Cosmetic and personal care products
are a disproportionally large source of chemical
exposure for women and girls in this country.
Talc is found in many cosmetic products that women
use in the most sensitive parts of our bodies,
including baby powder, lipstick, blush, eye
shadow, foundation, and face powder.
Independent labs throughout the
country over the course of several decades have
documented the presence of asbestos in consumer
talcum products, such as Johnson & Johnson's Baby
Powder.
With new science and research
suggesting that cosmetic products can be a
contributing factor to the health crises many
women and girls are experiencing, we believe that
testing methods for asbestos in these products are
of the utmost importance.
Exposures to talc has been suggested
as a causative factor in the development of
ovarian carcinomas, gynecological tumors, and
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mesothelioma. Over the past several years, case
control and cohort studies examining the link
between talcum powder use and incidences of ovarian
cancer have been carried out.
Recent meta analysis published in
December 2019 included data from three cohort
studies and 24 case control studies. The 2019
meta analysis summarized results from a total of a
over 16,000 cases, and over 200,000 controls.
Researchers found that regular,
perineal talc use increased the risk of developing
both serous and endometrial ovarian cancer.
Researchers also found that post menopausal women
who regularly use talc-based powders and who had
taken or were currently taking hormone therapy,
were at a greater risk of developing ovarian
cancer.
The FDA has deferred to
manufacturers for over 50 years when assessing the
safety of talc powders and cosmetics. This
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practice is dangerous and has the consumer's
health at risk.
There have been too many incidents
of asbestos-contaminated talc, in 2017, 2019, and
just this year, independent testing uncovered
possible asbestos contamination in various
cosmetic and personal care products.
Exposure to asbestos kills an
estimated 15,000 Americans every year. There is
no safe level of asbestos exposure. Having
adequate testing methods for asbestos in talc and
cosmetic products containing talc is critical to
the health and safety of consumers who are often
not aware that inadequate testing methods may have
been used to test the product that they use.
Although the FDA considers
asbestos-contaminated talc unacceptable for use in
cosmetics, there are currently no laws prohibiting
its use in cosmetics. We hope that Congress will
take action to give the FDA authority to regulate
cosmetics, including ingredients used in cosmetics
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in a meaningful way. And while we are delighted
that the FDA is using its powers, the powers that
it has, to take measures to regulate these testing
methods, the reconsideration of testing standards
and safety parameters for the talc use in
cosmetics used by millions of people is a positive
step --
MS. KARI BARRETT: We will need to
wrap. Thank you very much. We have your full set
of comments in the docket.
FDA is holding a public meeting on testing methods for asbestos in talc and cosmetic products containing talc on February 4, 2020.
