InformUzone

Oh great, now there’s a recall on counterfeit toothpaste that may contain diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze. I’m just getting over my fear of peanut butter and dog food recalls and now this. Diethylene Glycol and water is used as a coolant. It both lowers the freezing point of the solution and elevates its boiling point. It can be also found in some hydraulic fluids and brake fluids.
In People’s Republic of China, use of diethylene glycol in toothpaste is allowed. On June 4, 2007, a press release by the Chinese Foreign Ministry cited a earlier study in China which concluded that up to 15.6% diethylene glycol in toothpaste is safe.

Diethylene glycol is also illegally used as counterfeit glycerin in some nations and sold internationally as a component of cough syrup and toothpaste.
Mass poisonings attributed to DEG

• The most infamous incident was the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide disaster in the USA, in which 107 people died after taking sulfanilamide dissolved in diethylene glycol. This episode was the impetus for the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938.

• In recent years, deaths from medicines adulterated with diethylene glycol have been reported from South Africa, India, Nigeria, Argentina, Haiti, and Panama.

• In Haiti in 1996, 85 children died due to glycerine contaminated with diethylene glycol in a paracetamol syrup produced by Pharval Laboratories, a Haitian company.

• In 1990, in Bangladesh, 339 children developed kidney failure, and most of them died, after being given paracetamol (acetaminophen) syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol.

• In October 2006 the CDC and the Ministry of Health of Panama detected toxic levels of diethylene glycol in a sugarless liquid expectorant during an investigation of 46 deaths from a syndrome characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, renal failure and paralysis. . In May 2007, Panamanian officials reported that toothpaste manufactured in China with “glycerine” contained high levels of DEG.

• In May 2007 the same toothpaste was found in some Costa Rican stores. Fast action by the Ministry of Health, and notification through the media, prevented poisonings due to this product. This event was linked to the death sentence of a former pharmaceuticals control officer in China,

Because of the natural sweetness of the substance, domesticated animals have been victims of DEG poisoning after consuming spilled or leaking antifreeze from vehicles.

Should you be concerned next time you brush your teeth? Just what exactly are the ingredients in toothpaste?

Active Ingredients:

• Fluoride
• Antibacterial agents, most often Triclosan is used to control plaque
• Desensitizing agents
• Anti-tartar agents
• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
• Enzymes, to enhance the antibacterial properties of saliva
• Xylitol, a non-sugar sweetener, which reduces levels of cariogenic (decay causing) bacteria in the mouth and enhances remineralization

(Natural toothpastes may contain a variety of ingredients – anything from oil of ginger to seaweed extract.)

Inactive Ingredients:

• Water
• Detergents, to make the toothpaste foam
• Binding agents
• Humectants to retain moisture
• Flavoring, sweetening, and coloring agents like peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, wintergreen, and menthol
• Preservatives
• Abrasives for cleaning and polishing

This brings back the old question of how do they get the counterfeit toothpaste in the tube?