Does this baby powder give you cancer? A recent court ruling says it could

One man has been compensated $27.6 million

According to the man's lawyers, the powder he was using was tainted with asbestos resulting in terminal cancer. Image: Getty

A man in the United States has been awarded $US18.8 million ($27.6 million) in damages after he claimed Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder gave him cancer.

Johnson & Johnson products have been bathroom staples since the 1800s, most notably, their iconic talcum powder. The scent and texture is synonymous with many of our childhoods, but it turns out the powder might not be safe to use after all.

A U.S. court this week ruled that Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder caused Californian man Emory Hernandez Valadez to develop the deadly cancer mesothelioma in the tissue around his heart.

The 24-year-old said he was a regular user of the powder since childhood - and like many users, thought the product was completely safe, otherwise he wouldn't have touched it.

It's described as a product that, "Helps eliminate friction. Clinically proven to be safe, gentle and mild. Allergy and dermatologist-tested," with a "clean, classic scent."

It's also advised to be applied, "close to the body, away from the face."

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According to Hernandez's lawyers, the powder he was using was tainted with asbestos resulting in terminal cancer. 

Reuter's reported that the jury found Hernandez was entitled to damages to compensate him for his medical bills and pain and suffering, to the tune of $27.6 million, however, he won't receive the money just yet, because Johnson & Johnson's finances are frozen due to a bankruptcy court order.

The global company's president of litigation, Erik Haas refused to believe Hernandez's story, claiming he couldn't prove he was exposed to "tainted" talc.

Haas called the judgement "irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer".

However, in a 2018 investigative piece by Reuters, the news outlet claimed they'd examined documents that showed from the early 1970s to 2000s, Johnson & Johnson's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos.

The company now faces 38,000 other complainants who have used the powder. Image: Getty

"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," it reported.

"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."

Now the company will have to face 38,000 other complainants who say their J&J powder was tainted with asbestos. However, Hernandez's suit sets him apart from most, because mesothelioma is an extremely rare form of cancer.

So far, J&J's talc-related verdicts, settlements, plus legal fees have totalled around $6.6 billion.

Originally published as Does this baby powder give you cancer? A recent court ruling says it could