"Johnson's baby powder could cause cancer"

Jurors in the US state of California want Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to put a warning on its baby powder that it may be tainted with asbestos that could lead to cancer, the US media outlet Bloomberg reported last week.

The powder is very popular  around the world and in Uganda.

On May 24,  a lower court in California awarded $4 million in punitive damages  to Joanne Anderson, a 68-year-old woman who claimed her deadly cancer was caused by asbestos in J&J’s baby powder.

A day earlier the jury had awarded $21.7 million to Anderson, finding Johnson and Johnson baby powder responsible for 67 percent responsible for her mesothelioma.

J &J has maintained that its baby powder has never contained asbestos and rejected calls to put a warning on its white bottles known the world over. The company has also rejected any connection between its talc products and ovarian cancer.

J&J is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products are connected to cancer, primarily ovarian, but with a growing number claiming asbestos-related mesothelioma. The suits center on the claim that the company failed to warn of risks.