Tainted toothpaste in Connecticut
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
More than 700 tubes of toothpaste containing diethylene glycol (DEG) have been discovered and confiscated in Connecticut - 430 tubes of counterfeit Colgate reportedly made in South Africa and 275 tubes of Chinese-made Dentakleen and Dentakleen Junior strawberry and blueberry flavor, according to a July 9 release from the Department of Consumer Protection. The products were found primarily in discount stores in the Hartford and Bridgeport areas, the DCP says. Letters have gone out to two importer/distributors based in Danbury, Conn. and North Bergen, N.J., as well as to a number of Chinese manufacturers demanding "the number of tubes shipped to Connecticut, their lot and brand names, the number so far returned as a result of the recall, the names and addresses of any Connecticut residents who complained to the companies and other information." Colgate-Palmolive issued a statement warning consumers of counterfeit, DEG-containing Colgate products in mid-June (1"The Rose Sheet" June 18, 2007, In Brief). Earlier that month, FDA launched a recall of all dentrifice products formulated with DEG after the toxin was identified in several Chinese-made products (2"The Rose Sheet" June 11, 2007, p. 8)...