'People Should Be Outraged': FDA Yanks Talc Testing Plan

"People should be outraged," and some public health advocates are: The FDA has done an about-face on a Biden-era proposal that would have forced makeup manufacturers to test talc-containing products for asbestos, reports the Hill. The agency's decision means cosmetics made with talcum powder, a mineral that can be contaminated with the carcinogen asbestos, will not face mandatory asbestos testing in the US—at least for now. The FDA says it might introduce broader regulations in the future, reports the New York Times. The decision comes as the European Union prepares to ban talc in all cosmetics by 2027.

However, talc remains a common ingredient in many cosmetics, as well as in some foods and medications. Manufacturers claim their talc has been asbestos-free since the 1970s, when voluntary industry guidelines were put in place. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc as "probably carcinogenic," but the FDA continues to list it as "generally recognized as safe" due to its long history of use. Industry groups, for their part, raised concerns about the cost and potential for false positives in asbestos testing during the comment period for the proposed rule, and the FDA said in its notice that its withdrawal came in response to those comments. It elaborates:

• "Good cause exists to withdraw the proposed rule at this time. On the basis of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) priorities to ensure safe additives in the American food and drug supply, the highly scientific and technical issues addressed in public comments the Agency has received, and the complexity of asbestos testing and legal considerations under the Administrative Procedure Act, we are withdrawing the proposed rule to reconsider best means of addressing the issues covered by the proposed rule and broader principles to reduce exposure to asbestos."

Consumer advocates were not reassured by the FDA's promise of future action. Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, called the withdrawal a "horrific rollback" and warned that consumers are now left to identify potentially contaminated products on their own—which she tells the Times they can't do "because you can't know without testing. People should be outraged."