China to investigate tainted toothpaste recall

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 | 3:24 PM ET

CBC News

Chinese authorities said Wednesday they are launching a consumer product safety investigation after 10,000 tubes of toothpaste made in China were withdrawn from the marketplace in the Dominican Republic.

Officials in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday issued a recall of Excel and Mr. Cool toothpaste after learning the products contained diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze and brake fluid.

Panama also pulled the toothpaste from store shelves last week but noted that the levels of diethylene glycol did not pose a health risk.

On Wednesday, the company that exported the toothpaste said the product is safe, noting that diethylene glycol has been cleared for use in China. The chemical is used for its thickening properties.

"I am very confident about our product's quality," Chen Yaozu, general manager of the Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co. told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

The toothpaste recall follows an extensive pet food recall of over 100 brands in North America. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration later said Chinese wheat flour used in the food was tainted with melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.

China Daily editorial criticizes watchdogs

Meanwhile, a Wednesday editorial in the China Daily — a state-run, English-language newspaper — criticized food safety regulators for their response to the pet food investigation.

"Our quality watchdogs' contradictory statements regarding responsibility for the sensational pet food scandal was a shameful lack of professionalism," the paper said.

"They first denied, then soon admitted that the contaminated pet food originated in China."

Consumer concern later grew after authorities found that pet food scraps had been incorporated into feed for chickens and hogs. Canadian and U.S. officials also confirmed that imported wheat flour, also tainted with melamine, was used in fish feed.

The U.S. FDA later cleared chickens, hogs and fish for processing, saying the low levels of melamine in the animals did not pose a health risk to humans.

In April, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued border lookouts for wheat gluten, soy proteins, corn glutens and rice proteins from China.