FDA: Asbestos in Makeup? Nah, Just a 'Proposal'
The Hill reports the FDA has dropped its proposal requiring talc-containing cosmetics like baby powder to be tested for asbestos, citing 'limited resources' and a preference for 'voluntary standards' from industry. One might wonder what specific resource constraint prevents testing for a known carcinogen, particularly when Johnson & Johnson just set aside billions for talc-related litigation. This
isn't oversight; it's dereliction, disguised as bureaucratic pragmatism. This move conveniently aligns with the long-standing corporate playbook: delay, deny, and defer to toothless 'industry standards' while consumers shoulder the health risks. Recall how industries like tobacco or lead paint manufacturers 'voluntarily' self-regulated for decades? This pattern appears less about public safety and
more about a regulatory body simply shrugging its shoulders while corporations rake in profits, undisturbed by pesky requirements to ensure their products aren't killing their customers. How many more cancer clusters must emerge before 'limited resources' are finally directed toward actually protecting the public?