On January 13, the FDA published the Interagency Working Group on Asbestos in Consumer Products (IWGACP) white paper, “IWGACP Scientific Opinions on Testing Methods for Asbestos in Cosmetic Products Containing Talc (including Talc Intended for Use in Cosmetics).” Following a February 2020 public meeting on asbestos testing, the IWGACP was asked to develop a consensus document that would support the development of standardized testing methods to improve the sensitivity and consistency of analyses and inter-laboratory concurrence when reporting asbestos and other similar particles in talc that could potentially affect cosmetic product safety.

The IWGACP was formed by the FDA and consisted of subject matter experts from 8 US federal agencies: FDA, NIOSH, NIH, NIEHS, OSHA, EPA, CPSC, and USGS. The agencies have expertise in asbestos-testing and/or asbestos related issues (e.g., from a health perspective), or because they regulate some of the consumer products that contain talc as an ingredient.

The IWGACP white paper outlines scientific opinions on the testing of talc-containing cosmetic products that are intended to inform FDA’s consideration of testing methods and development of policy recommendations. As outlined in the FDA’s constituent update, the IWGACP’s scientific opinions include:

• Utilizing both Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) methods to identify and report the presence of asbestos and other similar particles;

• Reporting all asbestos and other similar particles greater than or equal to (≥) 0.5 µm in length with a length to width aspect ratio (AR) ≥ 3:1;

• Providing analytical reports with adequate documentation of findings;

• Establishing policies and procedures covering rigorous training, quality assurance, and quality control, to accompany testing methods, to ensure testing laboratories are qualified and their qualifications are reviewed on a regular basis; and

• Encouraging future research on reference materials and sample preparation methods to support standardized test methods for the detection of asbestos in talc and talc-containing cosmetics.

The white paper and its technical appendices are to undergo an external peer review in 2022.