China investigating exports of tainted toothpaste to Dominican Republic
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| Published on Thursday, May 24, 2007 |
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By Xiao Yu
BEIJING, China (Bloomberg): China is investigating reports on tainted toothpaste that has been exported to the Dominican Republic and Panama, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on Wednesday.
"China's government pays serious attention to reports that toothpaste in Panama and the Dominican Republic contains diethylene glycol," the statement said. Diethylene glycol is a potentially deadly industrial chemical.
The administration, customs offices and other government agencies are investigating "related companies and staff in Beijing and in the eastern province of Jiangsu," the statement said, without naming the companies.
Toothpaste that contains the lethal chemical caused the deaths of at least 51 people in Panama, the Associated Press reported May 22. Chen Yaozu, general manager of Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co., is being probed, the report said.
Goldcredit International Enterprises, one of the two producers in Jiangsu targeted in some of the reports, denied any involvement in the case in a statement issued through its lawyer, Agence France-Presse reported today.
"Goldcredit is not in any way associated with the issue discovered in Panama," AFP cited the statement as saying.
Calls to Danyang Chengshi and Goldcredit International were not immediately answered when reached by Bloomberg News seeking comment.
Chinese exports are under increased scrutiny following the Panama incident and deaths of pets in the US, forcing the government to publish new food safety rules to boost inspection and monitoring of food processing, and the use of animal feed additives, pesticides and fertilizers.
The quality control agency on May 9 admitted that two Chinese companies illegally adulterated protein powder for export with the industrial chemical melamine. The products have been linked to 14 confirmed pet deaths in the US and potentially many more, based on thousands of phone calls to the US government from pet owners.
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