US testing toothpaste for toxin

Panama News - Panama Health News

US health inspectors are testing imports of toothpaste from China following reports that batches tainted with a toxin have been found in Panama, a US official said Thursday. Written By: Staff Writer Source: AFP Complete Story Doug Arbesfeld, a spokesman for the US Food and Drug Administration, said health inspectors had started checking Chinese toothpaste imports on Wednesday. "This is a prudent and precautionary measure as part of our role to protect the health of the American people," Arbesfeld said. Media reports say officials in Panama have discovered traces of diethylene glycol in Chinese-produced toothpaste exported to the Central American state. The affected toothpaste was reportedly sold under the Mr. Cool and Excel brand names. Some of the shipments received in Panama were apparently re-exported to the Dominican Republic, according to The New York Times. Diethylene glycol, a toxin, is an industrial chemical that could cause potential organ failure of even death if ingested by humans, according to health officials. No deaths appear to have been reported amid the varying investigations so far. The US inspections also come after an Australian newspaper reported on May 18 that Excel-branded toothpaste had been recalled from some stores in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. The move by US health inspectors came a day after Chinese officials said they had opened a probe into the matter. Officials said the investigation was focused on Beijing and the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu where several toothpaste manufacturers are based. Goldcredit International Enterprises, a firm that makes toothpaste in Jiangsu, issued a statement Wednesday saying it was "not in any way associated with the issue discovered in Panama." The FDA's Arbesfeld said US inspectors had not found any tainted toothpaste, but would be carrying out detailed checks for at least the next 90 days. He said samples of Chinese toothpaste would be sent to special laboratories for testing. The United States imported some 3.3 million dollars' worth of toothpaste from China in 2006, according to government figures. The latest US product scare comes amid a government probe into the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats which are suspected to have died due to contaminated pet food imported from China. Officials found the pet food had been tainted with the chemical melamine, a substance used to make fertilizers and plastics.

 

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