A major legal battle has erupted in the United Kingdom as pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) faces allegations that it knowingly sold baby powder contaminated with asbestos for decades. The lawsuit, involving 3,000 claimants, could become the largest product liability case in British history.
The case, filed by KP Law against J&J and its subsidiary Kenvue Ltd, centers on internal company documents dating back to the 1960s. These include scientific reports and memos which, according to the claimants, show J&J was aware that its talcum powder contained fibrous minerals such as tremolite and actinolite—forms of asbestos known to cause cancer.
Court filings allege that despite internal recognition of the risks, J&J continued to market the powder as safe for everyday use. The product was portrayed as pure and gentle, targeting new mothers and later women of color, without any warnings about potential contamination.
In one 1973 internal document, executives allegedly acknowledged that the company’s baby powder “contains talc fragments classifiable as fiber,” with “sub-trace quantities of tremolite or actinolite.” Another memo suggested keeping findings “confidential rather than allow the whole world to know.”
J&J, however, firmly denies the allegations. The company insists its baby powder “was compliant with any required regulatory standards, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.” The sale of talc-based baby powder was discontinued in the UK in 2023.
The lawsuit mirrors extensive litigation in the United States, where J&J has faced thousands of similar claims and billions of dollars in damages. Earlier this month, a Connecticut court ordered J&J to pay $25 million to a man diagnosed with mesothelioma linked to its baby powder.
Among the UK claimants is Siobhan Ryan, a 63-year-old from Somerset, who used J&J’s baby powder for decades. Diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, she believes the product played a role in her illness. “They knew it was contaminated and still they sold it to new mums and their babies,” she said.
Medical experts say ovarian cancer can result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Professor Christina Fotopoulou of Imperial College London explained that the female reproductive system’s exposure to external elements means harmful particles like asbestos could contribute to cellular mutations leading to cancer.
Kenvue, the consumer health company spun off from J&J, responded that the allegations misrepresent the context of historic documents and that product safety was verified by independent laboratories and regulators worldwide.
“We sympathise deeply with people living with cancer,” the company stated. “But the facts show our products were safe and compliant.”
With potential damages reaching hundreds of millions of pounds, the case marks a pivotal moment for consumer safety in the UK. If successful, it could reshape corporate accountability standards for decades to come.
