Canada Moves Toward Increased Talc Restrictions

News >Canada Moves Toward Increased Talc Restrictions


Canada Moves Toward Increased Talc Restrictions

Canada Moves Toward Increased Talc Restrictions

The government of Canada has promised to take a step ahead towards protecting the health of Canadians. Canada may soon become the first country that legally restricts the use of popular talc-based products. The governmental agency in Canada, responsible for national health policy came up with an official advisory in April, including many talc products such as baby powder and genital deodorants which can cause serious lung problems and ovarian cancer.

The agency has expanded restrictions on talc in cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs that can be inhaled or used in the female genital area. They are also planning to move talc onto the government’s official toxic substances list. So the goal of the Health Canada advisory is to lower all exposure of talc.

According to research, Canada is the first country in the world to propose actions to manage the health risk of talc on humans. Through a chemical management plan, the government of Canada is taking action on those products that are found to be harmful to human health or the environment. Under a Chemical Management Plan, Health Canada Environment & climate change have completed a final test of talc as the mineral used in many products.

The final screening assessment report and the risk management approach have been published in Canada. The final screening assessment takes into consideration comments, and new evidence received during the consultation period.

Talc Safety Under Legal Scrutiny

Talc is known as the softest mineral on Earth; it was once used on a large scale in cosmetic and personal care items. It has come under intense screening in recent years, proved from thousands of talc lawsuits. Talc powder is usually mined in proximity to asbestos, a toxic mineral that can lead to serious health problems, including lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.

According to one research in KCIC, a well-regarded legal consulting firm in Washington, D.C., a large majority of talc-product lawsuits in the USA involve ovarian cancer. When the first case was filed in 2013, it accounted for awards worth an estimated $5 billion. Health Canada had also restricted the use of talc in powder-based products for children. They also mandated warning labels to keep the product away from children's faces to avoid any inhalation.

Many major manufactures in North America know about the serious health problems, so they dropped talc-based products. For example, in 2020, Johnson & Johnson said it ended the sale of its iconic talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the United States and Canada as they are facing more than 25,000 lawsuits related to different talc products.

Johnson & Johnson has set aside almost $4 billion for future talc-related litigation, based on its most recent regulatory filings with the $2.1 billion appeal pending with the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration takes action on talc expected soon

Many big cosmetics companies are also distancing themselves from talc-based products and looking for talc alternatives. As many companies insisted that their products are safe because of in-house testing of talc, testing guidelines and testing sensitivity have often become an issue.

If we talk about current law, then FDA does not regulate cosmetic and natural health products other than colour additives. There is a legal responsibility for companies to ensure the safety of their products, but testing methods can vary as there are no mandatory restrictions like the ones being proposed in Canada currently.

As Canadian government announced the restrictions, FDA is expected to release its updated recommendations this summer on testing methods for asbestos in talc products, which could lead to restrictions.

The main focus of the Canadian study is on Health Effects.

The main focus of Health Canada was a joint venture with “Environment and Climate Change Canada”, which is a governmental agency. According to the reports, the assessment focuses on health effects associated with cosmetic- and pharmaceutical-grade talc and not on potential impurities. The final test found no health issues with talc in paper, paint, ceramics, plastics or putties. It also found no harm to the environment.

They offered some suggestions for the citizens:

Avoid inhaling loose talc powder

Avoid female genital exposure to talc

Must read product labels, also follow safety warnings

Always try to choose a talc-free alternative

Contact an attorney for a Talcum powder lawsuit if you or your loved one have developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma due to the use of the talcum powder. Call Lawyer4Help USA now at +1 (307) 828 1476 for any consultation regarding the same.


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