Document 06Y3z8K3k3BRpaEqL4gjOEZ0n

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1976 Mar 11 DOC TALC199 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Newspaper Article - Talc Tests Wanting FDA Experts Admit Distributor Distributor Distributor to Take March 11 1976 RECORD Bergen County John Walcott N.J. TALC TESTS WANTING FDA EXPERTS ADMIT oleate tele Ree ee eh ee Washington powders that are allowed on the market the Food & expert said yesterday found to contain asbestos should not be Drug Administration's top cosmetic However H. Eiermann Director of the FDA's division of cosmetic technology said the government so far has found no evidence that some baby and bath powders are contaminated with the causing mineral Researchers at New York Mt. Sinai Hospital have reported finding asbestos in concentrations ranging from 2-20 in 10 of the 20 baby powder samples that they have tested The FDA and the Mt. Sinai researchers used different methods to identify asbestos in talc the main ingredient in most powders Eiermann said and there is considerable disagreement in scientific circles about how best to analyze the complex minderals Nevertheless he said the FDA has those agreed to test the Mt. Sinai samples and to compare its results with obtained by the New York scientists Eiermann also said the Mt. Sinai tests which were conducted on powders purchased in 1973 may not accurately reflect the composition of the powders on the market today Many manufacturers he said recently have become concerned about the asbestos content of their product and have switched to talc supplies which are relatively free of asbestos contamination SAYS HANDS ARE TIED Nevertheless said Eiermann the FDA lacks the legal authority the man power and the money to adequately protect the public for potentially hazardous cosmetics ranging from hair dyes to contaminated mascara Every cosmetic that goes on the market should be test " he said The law today merely prevents manufacturers from introducing adulterated or misbranded products The entire cosmetics budget is only 2-1 million and we have only 8 chemists There are 250,000 250,000 different cosmetic products on the market and 4000-5000 manufacturers We have % of the total FDA '"' budget Eiermann made his comments at a 2-1 hour meeting yesterday with Rep Andrew Maguire NJ Maguire concerned about published reports of asbestos contamination in baby powders walked in on Eiermann un- announced after lunch with his staff health expert his press secretary two house investigation committee staffers and reporter in tow Protected Document to Protective order JNJ 000030476 cy -2- Maguire asked Eiermann to produce his files on baby powders and to explain what the FDA has been doing about the reports of contamination At one point Maguire asked whether the FDA considers any level of asbestos in powders matter how low to be safe Eiermann replied that no safe exposure to asbestos had been found and later said that talc asbestos whichis found to contain body powder should not be used to make baby or CALLS TESTING DIFFICULT He said however that sophisticaled and consuming techniques that are need to find asbestos fibers can test only minute amounts of talc Because talc and asbestos often are mixed together in infinitely variable concentrations tests on such small samples do not accurately reflect asbestos levels in larger samples of talc he told Maguire The FDA Eiermann said wants a new law tightening government control on all cosmetics The agency he said supports a bill sponsored by Senator Thomas Eagleton Mo which would requir^'cosmetic manufacturers to safely test their products and to submit the test results to the FDA for approval before the products could be sold A FDA study conducted last year indicates that cosmetics may be responsible for as many as 140,000 injuries American consumers year ranging from minor skin irritations to prolonged medical problems requiring professional attention Testimony before the Senate has placed the number of cosmetic related injuries anywhere from 29,000 to 60,000 per year Eiermann said the FDA now is studying among other things hair dyes antiperspirants and mascara for evidence of danger For example he said there is some evidence that mascara can become contaminated from contact with the skin and may cause ulcers on the cornea cover over the lens of the eye If the brush used apply the transparent mascara accidentially scratches the cornea he said it can deposit germs which can cause corneal ulcers which can lead to blindness The FDA said Eiermann is studying the use of preservatives in mascara to prevent the spread of such germs and may issue regulations on the composition of mascara There is no evidence on the other hand that baby powder is a potential health hazard Eiermann said Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick the nation's leading manufacturer of baby powders has tested its talc on hamsters and has found no evidence that talc inhaled into the lungs is hazardous he said Protected Document to Protective Order JNJ 000030477 -3- acknowledged Vermont When questioned however Eiermann Johnson talc which comes from the that Johnson & 1 has been found to be company's own mines in virtually free of asbestos No tests have been conducted on animals using talc from New York some powders and which State which is used in | talc The generally contains more asbestos than Vermont FDA he said has no plans for such tests Maguire Let me go to the housewife in my district " goes into the store and she sees 9 types of talc How is she to know which ones are safe lined replied She up on the shelves sample We cannot test every " Eiermann replied %%%% Protected Subject to Protective Order JNJ 000030478