Why ban Johnson's baby powder? The Bombay High Court has summoned the reply of the Maharashtra government

 

The High Court will hear the government's move to cancel the license of Johnson & Johnson's children's talcum powder on November 9.  Earlier on Saturday, the High Court summoned the reply of the Maharashtra government in this regard.

• What's the story?

 In September, Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice revoking the license of baby talcum powder manufactured by the American firm Johnson & Johnson.  The powder manufacturer approached the Bombay High Court against the directive.

Earlier, the press statement from the FDA said that Johnson & Johnson powder can harm the skin of newborn babies.  In laboratory tests, the 'pH' level found in the baby powder samples manufactured by this company is not suitable for use on the skin of newborn babies.  When the state FDA tested the quality of the powder, it was found that the 'pH' level was much higher than the prescribed level.  The decision was taken by the Maharashtra FDA on the basis of a report prepared by the Kolkata-based 'Central Drugs Laboratory.  The test was conducted by collecting powder samples from Nashik and Pune.

• What's next?

However, Johnson & Johnson authorities did not accept the report.  They challenged the authenticity of the Maharashtra government's report and appealed to the court to send the sample to the Central Drugs Laboratory.  Incidentally, a few months ago, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would no longer produce baby talcum powder anywhere in the world from 2023.