This is Starwest's nitrogen-flushed double wall silverfoil pack.

Cornstarch is, of course, a superb all-purpose thickening agent in cooking. It's made by pulverizing the ground, dried residue of corn grains after preparatory soaking and the removal of the embryo and the outer covering.

It’s also a great body talc – far superior to mineral talcum powders. The American Cancer Society and National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, among others, are recommending that women use cornstarch powders, rather than talcum powders, in the genital area.

'Talcum Powder and Cancer' from the ACS states: 'Until additional information is available, women may wish to consider avoiding these products or substituting cornstarch-based powders that contain no talc.' When asked why cornstarch is safer to use than talc, Dr. Whysner explains, 'Cornstarch is the way that the corn plant stores energy. It's also the starch that is used in food products, and the body can digest cornstarch. Talc, on the other hand, is a mineral. It's mined from the earth, and the body has a difficult time removing it.'

Dr. Pennisi adds, 'Since cornstarch is derived from corn and that's a food, our body has natural enzymes to break it down rather easily, whereas talc, which is a mineral and not normally found in the body, cannot be broken down by the body.'

The American Health Foundation paper, he adds, says essentially three things: 1) Unlike talc, cornstarch feminine powders have never been associated with ovarian cancer. 2) By the very nature of cornstarch, any association with ovarian cancer is not biologically plausible. 3) Cornstarch is a safe alternative to talc in feminine powders.