Chinese Toothpaste Is Toxic

Buy no toothpaste from China, the Food and Drug Administration warned this afternoon. Chinese toothpaste currently in the bathroom cabinet should be trashed. The warning is to prevent toothpaste containing the poisonous chemical diethylene glycol from entering the United States, the FDA said. The poison -- which is used to make antifreeze and some solvents -- was found in toothpaste sold in Panama last month. The same contaminant, when it showed up in cough syrup, killed 51 Panamanians last year. The chemical is also sometimes called “diglycol” or “diglycol stearate.” Check the ingredients listed and throw out products that contain this ingredient. FDA is not aware of any U.S. reports of poisonings from toothpaste, but chronic exposure could endanger the public -- particularly to children and those with liver or kidney disease. The greatest risk would come from those who swallow the toxic substance repeatedly. These brands contain the chemical:

• Cooldent Fluoride
• Cooldent Spearmint
• Cooldent ICE
• Dr. Cool
• Everfresh Toothpaste
• Superdent Toothpaste
• Clean Rite Toothpaste
• Oralmax Extreme
• Oral Bright Fresh Spearmint Flavor
• Bright Max Peppermint Flavor
• ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste

Manufacturers of these products are: Goldcredit International Enterprises Limited; Goldcredit International Trading Company Limited; and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Company Limited. The products typically are sold at low-cost, “bargain” retail outlets, according to the FDA. The toxic products were discovered only after first being identified in Panama and other countries. That prompted the FDA to investigate, and its tests of toothpaste on the shelves of American stores found the bad product, according to the June 2 Star-Ledger. Consumers can report adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of these products to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at 1-800-332-1088.