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Partly supported

A material part is supported, but the published wording goes beyond the record.

A Reuters investigation in December 2018 reported that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos was at times found in its talc and talc powders.

About
Johnson & Johnson
Claim made by
Reuters, press report
Published
14 December 2018
Original
Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder
Evidence score
55 How it was scored
Last reviewed
25 October 2026

Why this label

One material part has an official record behind it. In October 2019 FDA said a sample from lot 22318RB of Johnson's Baby Powder contained chrysotile asbestos, and J&J recalled that lotS6S2. That shows asbestos has been detected in a J&J consumer talc product. The part of the claim about what J&J knew over decades rests on internal company documents cited by ReutersS7. No court ruling or regulator finding read here establishes that knowledge. J&J called the article one-sided, false and inflammatoryS1. The reuters.com page was blocked for this review, so the headline and date were checked on a Reuters-credited reprintS7. The published claim goes beyond the official records available.

Current procedural position

Press allegation of 14 December 2018S7, disputed by J&J the same dayS1. Single-lot recall of October 2019 completed and terminated by FDAS2S6. No adjudicated finding on company knowledge in the records read.

Record supporting the assessment

J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder
S7 Tier C Reuters (via Business Insurance), J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder, 14 December 2018
A sample from this lot was found to contain chrysotile fibers, a type of asbestos.
S6 Tier A US Food and Drug Administration, Baby Powder Manufacturer Voluntarily Recalls Product for Asbestos, 18 October 2019

Conflicting or limiting record

The Reuters article is one-sided, false, and inflammatory.
S1 Tier B Johnson & Johnson, Statement on Reuters Talc Article, 14 December 2018
Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos.
S2 Tier B US Food and Drug Administration (company announcement), Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. to Voluntarily Recall a Single Lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder in the United States, 18 October 2019

Evidence score: 55 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Johnson & Johnson. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

ComponentPointsMaxReason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?1930FDA's own notice is competent on the test result, but the knowledge claim rests on press reporting.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?1020The FDA finding addresses one lot, not decades of knowledge.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?615No second official record on company knowledge was read.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?415No court or regulator has ruled on the knowledge claim in the records read.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?810Checked against J&J's July 2026 statement.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?810The FDA notice, the J&J statement and a Reuters reprint are public. The reuters.com page was blocked.
Total55100

Timeline

  1. Reuters publishes its investigation and J&J rejects itS7S1
  2. FDA reports chrysotile in one lot and J&J recalls itS6S2

Responses

  • Johnson & Johnson, 14 December 2018: J&J called the Reuters article one-sided, false and inflammatory and said its baby powder is asbestos-free.S1

Revision history

  • Assessment first published with label Partly supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

  1. S7Tier C J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby PowderReuters (via Business Insurance). Press report. 14 December 2018.Reprint credited to Reuters of the December 2018 investigation. No reporter is named on the reprint. Al Jazeera carried the same Reuters finding on the same day. It is the allegation, not a finding.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  2. S6Tier A Baby Powder Manufacturer Voluntarily Recalls Product for AsbestosUS Food and Drug Administration. Regulator press release. 18 October 2019.FDA's own notice that a sample from lot 22318RB contained chrysotile asbestos in its cosmetics survey. It covers one lot and says a sample from another lot tested negative.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  3. S1Tier B Statement on Reuters Talc ArticleJohnson & Johnson. Company statement. 14 December 2018.J&J's rebuttal of the Reuters report. It is the company's position, not a finding.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  4. S2Tier B Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. to Voluntarily Recall a Single Lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder in the United StatesUS Food and Drug Administration (company announcement). Company statement. 18 October 2019.Company recall notice posted by FDA, reporting the FDA test result for one lot. FDA says it posts such notices as a public service and does not endorse the company.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

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