Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-based baby powder around the world in 2023

New York (CNN Business) Johnson & Johnson is abandoning talc-based baby powder next year and instead will make it with cornstarch.

using regular talcum powder Its talc-based powder , which hasn't been sold in the United States and Canada since 2020, is at the center of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by women who have developed ovarian cancer afterregular talcum powder

Johnson & Johnson says it remains confident in the safety of the product. But, in a statement Friday, the company said it would stop selling talc-based powder around the world next year as part of a "worldwide portfolio assessment."

"We continuously evaluate and optimize our portfolio to best position the business for long-term growth," the company said in a statement. "This transition will help simplify our product offerings, deliver sustainable innovation, and meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends."

Johnson & Johnson JNJ A handful of talcum powder companies have put warning labels on their products, butargued such a label would be confusing, because it stood by its product. Some scientific studies have shown that women have an increased risk of ovarian cancer with talc use in the genital area, but others do not.