THE WHAT? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required cosmetic companies to test talc-containing products for asbestos, saying it will rework the regulation under requirements set by a 2022 federal law.

THE DETAILS The agency announced the withdrawal in a Federal Register notice, stating that “good cause” existed to revisit the proposal due to scientific, technical, and legal complexities raised in public comments. The FDA said the Biden-era rule—which aimed to establish standardized asbestos-detection methods for talc cosmetics—could have unintended impacts on other product categories, including OTC drug-cosmetics.

The notice also cited the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) priorities and the need to reassess broader approaches to reducing asbestos exposure. While the proposal is withdrawn, the FDA remains obligated under the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act to issue a rule requiring asbestos testing for talc-containing cosmetic products. A new proposal will be introduced at a later date.

Talc and asbestos often occur near each other geologically, raising contamination risks; asbestos exposure is known to cause cancer. Advocacy groups criticised the withdrawal, warning it delays needed consumer protections.

THE WHY? The withdrawal allows the FDA to redesign the asbestos-testing mandate in response to legal and technical concerns, though it delays implementation of standardized testing requirements for talc-based cosmetics.

Source: The Hill