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FDA Suspends Imports of Toothpaste from China
May 25, 2007

Press reports indicate that the Food and Drug Administration has suspended imports of all toothpaste from China following the recent discovery of a potentially harmful chemical in Chinese toothpaste exported to other countries. Authorities in Panama, Australia and the Dominican Republic found such shipments to contain small amounts of diethylene glycol, a chemical that is also used in antifreeze. The Associated Press reports that Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into the problem.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the FDA said it imposed the import restrictions as a precaution, as it does not appear the tainted toothpaste has entered the U.S. The article added that most major brands of toothpaste in the U.S. market are still produced domestically.