A million tubes of antifreeze toothpaste recalled

Last week I blogged about the discovery of counterfeit Colgate toothpaste from China, contaminated with ethyl glycol, on the shelves of budget stores of the Atlantic seaboard. Today comes word from Walt Bogdanich of the New York Times that the same contaminant has been discovered in Pacific-brand toothpaste distributed in prisons and other state institutions in the Southeast, including Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.

Ethyl glycol, an ingredient in anti-freeze, is a toxic substance that could, even in small amounts, harm children or those with compromised health, yet it is routinely used in Chinese toothpaste destined for domestic consumption. Evidently, nearly one million tubes of this Chinese toothpaste found their way into American institutions. The FDA warning about bad toothpaste caused the Georgia State government to investigate the ingredients in Pacific toothpaste, distributed by American Amenities of Seattle, WA, and the results led to this recall.

Another pharmaceutical distributor, McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK), has recalled McKesson everFRESH toothpaste after finding traces of antifreeze in its China-sourced product.

The story comes on the heels of today's news that the Chinese government has shut down 180 food makers for using industrial chemicals in their products.