Statement on the FDA’s Expert Panel on Talc

Arlington, Va., May 21, 2025 – The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) is deeply alarmed by the process utilized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its recent panel on talc. The panel’s one-sided composition and failure to include the most recent extensively peer reviewed scientific studies is particularly troubling. The strongest available evidence across multiple fields of study clearly demonstrates that talc does not cause cancer.

The National Academy of Sciences has established guidelines for steps that must be followed in developing an expert panel that will provide science-based recommendations to a government agency. The FDA failed to comply with most, if not all, of these guidelines in its hastily arranged one-sided panel. Notably, the FDA failed to consider a balanced panel composition; failed to disqualify individuals based on conflicts of interest; and failed to disclose the full backgrounds of the panel members or relationships that could cause concern. There are a number of toxicologists, epidemiologists, cancer biologists, microscopists, and other academic scientists who would have brought balance to this panel. While Commissioner Makary stated that the FDA had “chosen to listen to the scientists,” unfortunately the FDA opted to listen to a single perspective shared by several on the panel who have significant financial incentives to disparage talc and not follow the science.

The FDA did not allow any opportunity or platform for public comment from interested stakeholders at this meeting. EMA believes that if Secretary Kennedy is serious about “radical transparency,” it is imperative that the agency provide clarity on the conflicts of interest that exist in their offices and with the panel on this issue and provide a platform for all stakeholders to be heard. If the agency were to utilize the best available science, it would be abundantly clear that talc does not cause cancer.

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The Essential Minerals Association is the representative voice for companies that extract and process a vital and beneficial group of raw materials and minerals, which are the essential ingredients for many of the products used in everyday life. EMA ensures that the voices of its member companies and the socio-economic benefits they provide – from mining to end-use products – are heard by government leaders as well as the general public. Visit essentialminerals.org to learn more.