FDA Warning on Toothpaste
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a health risk in using toothpaste made in China. The recommendation is to dispose of Chinese manufactured toothpaste. FDA officials said:
“…they found toothpaste containing a small amount of diethylene glycol, a sweet, syrupy poison, at a Dollar Plus retail store in Miami, sold under the brand name ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste. The FDA also identified nine other brands of Chinese toothpaste that contain diethylene glycol, some with concentrations of 3 percent to 4 percent.”
Link: Consumers told to trash toothpaste made in China
Diethylene glycol is used in manufacturing antifreeze, brakes fluids, hydraulic fluids and things of that nature. It is toxic.
I went and looked at my toothpaste tube. Nowhere on the tube does it say where my toothpaste was manufactured. I looked carefully - several times. That information is not there. Perhaps the location of manufacture was printed on the toothpaste box. But who keeps the packaging of the toothpaste tube, in case it is important to check and see if one is being poisoned?
Catherine Forsythe
[tags]fda, toothpaste, warning, diethylene glycol, antifreeze, packaging, China[/tags]

3 Comments
Teresa Holladay
June 5th, 2007
at 4:58pm
Hi, Catherine,
Great notes! Just wanted to add that human toothpaste is dangerous for quite another reason than mere contamination! Many toothpastes (and mouthwashes and mints and candies and gums) contain the artificial sweetener Xylitrol, which affects the insulin level in dogs. Just a little bit of toothpaste has a dramatic affect on the dog’s health, they tank in under 12 hours and it’s darned near a fatal event. Vets are seeing much more Xylitrol poisoning than they ever used to.
I have an article on it over on my Safe Pet Food Blog.
forsythe
June 5th, 2007
at 5:17pm
For an article on xylitol ingestion:
link: Acute hepatic failure and coagulopathy associated with xylitol ingestion in eight dogs
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
October 1, 2006, Vol. 229, No. 7, Pages 1113-1117
doi: 10.2460/javma.229.7.1113
http://tinyurl.com/2nwe47
Dick Schulz
February 5th, 2008
at 3:01pm
What is the truth about using xylitol formulated toothpastes and mouthwashes?
Dick Schulz
(I have edited and removed Dick’s address. If you wish to contact Dick, please send me an email. Catherine Forsythe)