The FDA Convenes Expert Panel on Talc: The Evidence Is Clear—It’s Time for a Ban

On May 20, 2025, the FDA held a historic public expert panel examining the health risks associated with talc—including its contamination with asbestos and its link to ovarian and gastrointestinal cancers. The scientific consensus was overwhelming: talc is hazardous, outdated, and should be removed from the market.

At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, we’ve been at the forefront of the fight to protect consumers from harmful products like talc for decades. We’ve represented families devastated by diseases caused by asbestos-contaminated talc and have long called for full transparency and regulatory action.

Experts from Harvard, NIH, Monash University, and the National Toxicology Program laid out powerful evidence:

• Talc often co-occurs with tremolite and chrysotile asbestos in mines.

• Talc particles and fibers have been found in ovaries, lymph nodes, and even lungs.

• Animal studies and mechanistic data show "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity."

• Safer alternatives are readily available and already in use in Europe.

Perhaps most shocking: millions of Americans—especially children—consume talc daily in food and medications without even knowing it.

This is not just a scientific issue—it’s a moral one. And it’s time for action.

🎥 Watch the full FDA panel here: https://youtu.be/MS-T1KicGOc

📚 Learn more about our firm’s mission to protect public health: https://cprlaw.com/about/