Talc is a natural mineral, formed in underground deposits under the same geological conditions as asbestos. In mines, veins of asbestos can intermingle with talc, geologists say.Johnson & Johnson officials emphasized on Friday that the level of asbestos detected was very low, just a fraction of 1 percent of the sample. United States health agencies, however, say there is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos.While health risks increase with heavier and longer exposure to asbestos, the overall evidence suggests no level of asbestos exposure is safe, and disease has been found in people with only brief exposures, according to the National Cancer Institute.Several earlier F.D.A. tests, including one in the past year and another about a decade ago, did not detect any asbestos in samples of baby powder.The F.D.A. does not require safety testing for personal-care products and cosmetics before they are marketed, and tests products only occasionally, usually after complaints by consumers or advocacy groups.The agency considered —and soon abandoned —a plan to monitor talcum products for asbestos in the 1970s, when concern about asbestos in household products captured the public’s attention. The F.D.A. commissioned tests of Johnson & Johnson powdersback then, and the company successfully challenged their validity.This year, after consumer tests found asbestos in makeup kits for children sold at Claire’s, the F.D.A. followed up with its own tests. It detected the carcinogen in half of 20 products, including Claire’s eye shadow and compact powder, JoJo Siwa makeup sold at Claire’s, and bronzers, blush and other makeup made by Beauty Plus Global City Color Cosmetics and sold in retail outlets. The products were eventually recalled.The agency plans to test 30 more products containing talcum powder, including those popular on social media and others marketed to children, Ms. Sánchez-Contreras said. The products are a tiny percentage of the thousands of personal-care products available for sale.
Questions:1.Although Johnson & Johnson took a massive short-term loss as a result of its actions to recalled 33,000 bottles of the baby powder, it was cushioned by therelative wealth of the company.If the survival of the company is at stake, in your opinion, provide reason(s) as whether the company should have acted the same way.2.Dr. Susan Nicholson, Johnson & Johnson’s vice president of women’s health, said during a short conference call with investors on Friday that the F.D.A.’s report showed “an extremely unusual finding” that was “inconsistent with our testing to date.”Provide reason(s) on whether there was a moral imperative to recall all Johnson & Johnson baby powder.(25 marks)3.Determine the moral minimum required of the company in this case. Provide your opinion on whether it would favor some stakeholders more than others. If so, provide your defense in balancing the interests of some stakeholders more than others4.Imagine that an under-developed country volunteers to take the recalled product. Its representatives make assurances that all the baby powder will be visually inspected and random samples taken before distribution.Provide your argument whether it would that be appropriate in these circumstances or that it would have been a better solution than destroying all remaining baby powder bottles