More Toxic Substitutions

Last year contaminated cough syrup imported into Panama killed 50 people. The medication was contaminated with diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze and also used as a brake coolant.

Now the killer contaminant is turning up in some toothpaste imported from the same place (which happens to be China) & some authorities around the world are taking action. Nicaragua and Costa Rica are both seizing shipments of toothpaste manufactured in China as a result.

The brands in question, "Mr. Cool" and "Excel" have not been licensed for use in Canada, but Health Canada is checking in case people have brought the products back with them from countries where they are sold. Renee Bergeron, a spokeswoman with Health Canada said "It is possible that these products could ...have been brought into Canada through personal importation, or purchased over the Internet. Health Canada is monitoring this issue and will take the appropriate compliance and enforcement action if the product is found to be on the Canadian market."

The brands are part of a wave of contaminated products hailing from China.

Diethylene glycol is being used in China as a cut-rate substitute for glycerin, which is more expensive, but is safe to consume - unlike brake coolant and antifreeze. Recalls have been launched in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and US food safety specialists are conducting toxin testing of imported toothpaste. The Chinese manufacturers who made the tainted toothpaste claim diethylene glycol is safe to consume in small amounts.

This article points out that according to reports in the Washington Post found the US FDA labeled Chinese fruit as "filthy" and swordfish as "poisonous,", and they also found carcinogenic ingredients in frozen shrimp. 80 percent of ascorbic acid - that's vitamin C, which is also used as a food preservative - comes from China. Less than 1 percent of Chinese food imports are inspected by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The rejection rate? 25 times that of Canadian products imported to the US.