Corn, rice flour powder safer

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THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Health Ministry to reconsider its decision not to ban talcum powder and talc-based products, as new studies have shown that talc is hazardous to health.

In a study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group in the United States and published on Nov 24 in the journal Environmental Health Insights, researchers found asbestos in 15% of 21 talc-based cosmetics samples analysed using electron microscopy. The researchers said that the industry’s current method of screening voluntarily for the carcinogen is inadequate (bit.ly/talc_study).