Squid_for_Brains: BeansNfranks: Is asbestos so ridiculously cheap that companies are willing to risk millions in lawsuits for the margin gain from not using alternatives? I mean, how farking cheap can it possibly be compared to alternatives?

This is what farking kills me. Talc is cheap. Starch is cheap (some are celiac-safe.) WHY is there asbestos in their powder?

I've got nothing funny to say here. I'm just flummoxed.

If I remember right, there was a previous article about this and talc and asbestos are produced in similar environmental conditions, so finding pure talc without risk of breaking into tiny pockets of asbestos during the mining process is really rare, and it's almost a given that talc will have traces of asbestos as a result.

Squid_for_Brains: Ashraiel: Squid_for_Brains: BeansNfranks: Is asbestos so ridiculously cheap that companies are willing to risk millions in lawsuits for the margin gain from not using alternatives? I mean, how farking cheap can it possibly be compared to alternatives?

This is what farking kills me. Talc is cheap. Starch is cheap (some are celiac-safe.) WHY is there asbestos in their powder?

I've got nothing funny to say here. I'm just flummoxed.

If I remember right, there was a previous article about this and talc and asbestos are produced in similar environmental conditions, so finding pure talc without risk of breaking into tiny pockets of asbestos during the mining process is really rare, and it's almost a given that talc will have traces of asbestos as a result.

If that's the case, they should avoid it entirely. I'm migraine-prone and triggered by synthetic fragrances, and so I had to switch to food-grade cosmetic and body powders out of necessity. They actually work better.
A newborn has to be even more sensitive than I am, but people absolutely cover them in mild toxins and perfumes. It's gross.

Aha, found the article.

"...talc and asbestos often occurred together in the earth, and that mined talc could be contaminated with the carcinogen."

"A Reuters examination of many of those documents, as well as deposition and trial testimony, shows that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public.
The documents also depict successful efforts to influence U.S. regulators' plans to limit asbestos in cosmetic talc products and scientific research on the health effects of talc."