FDA held a public meeting on testing methods for asbestos in talc and cosmetic products containing talc on February 4, 2020 at the FDA White Oak Campus (10903 New Hampshire Ave, The Great Room, Building 31, Silver Spring, Md. 20993).

The purpose of the public meeting was to discuss and obtain scientific data and information on topics related to testing methodologies, terminology, and criteria that can be applied to characterize and measure asbestos and other potentially harmful elongate mineral particles (EMPs) that may be present as contaminants in talc and consumer products, including cosmetics, containing talc as an ingredient.

The meeting included discussions of key topics, such as:

• a federal interagency working group’s preliminary recommendations related to terminology and definitions of asbestos and other EMPs of health concern; and
• scientific data and information related to methodologies, terminology and criteria that can be used in the development of standardized testing methods to improve sensitivity, consistency, and inter-laboratory concurrence of asbestos testing.

Recordings & Transcript

• Recording Part 1
• Recording Part 2
• Recording Part 3
• Recording Part 4
• Full Meeting Transcript (PDF: 7.33MB)

Contact Information

For general questions about the meeting, contact Denise Hodge, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Dr. (HFS-125), College Park, Md. 20740, phone: 301-796-7739, email: [email protected].

Commenting

You may view electronically submitted comments on https://www.regulations.gov/ in docket folder FDA-2020-N-0025.

Additional Information

• Federal Register Notice Announcing the Public Meeting
• Federal Register Notice: Availability of FDA Statement Added to the Docket for Public Meeting Related to Cosmetic Products Containing Talc
• FDA Statement
• FDA’s Talc webpage

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