Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-containing baby powder worldwide next year after it did the same in the US and Canada amid thousands of lawsuits alleging it causes cancer.

According to the company, talc will be replaced by corn starch. J&J insists, and the vast majority of medical research on talc shows that talc baby powder is safe and does not cause cancer. However, demand for the company's baby powder fell due to the controversy, and it removed talc from products in much of North America.

J&J said the change will make product selection easier and in line with changing global trends.