FDA Reverses Mandatory Asbestos Testing Rule for Talc-Based Cosmetics
In a move that has ignited discussions within the beauty industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has retracted a proposed rule. This rule would have necessitated obligatory asbestos testing for talc-infused cosmetic products. The rule, initially proposed in December 2024 under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, aimed to establish standardized testing methods to detect asbestos contamination in cosmetics such as face powders, eye shadows, and baby powders.
The proposed regulation would have obligated manufacturers to test talc-containing products using both Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) methods. Any detection of asbestos would have automatically deemed the products adulterated under federal law. The FDA received 49 public comments that raised concerns about the rule’s scope and potential unintended consequences for consumer products.
Health experts caution that asbestos-contaminated talc poses serious risks, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. In 2019, FDA testing discovered asbestos in several popular cosmetic products, particularly children’s makeup items, leading to voluntary recalls. The agency has stated it will issue a “new proposed rule” but has not provided a timeline, leaving consumers without mandatory screening requirements.
Source: Newsweek