China says is investigating reports that toothpaste contaminated with a potentially lethal chemical had been exported to Central America. Thousands of tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste have been confiscated in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
The toothpaste contains diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in engine coolants, authorities there say.
A series of scares over the safety of Chinese products have recently aroused global concern.
The Dominican Republic has banned the sale of two different brands of toothpaste, both of which were made in China and imported through Panama.



CHINESE FOOD SCARES
May 2007 China probes reports that contaminated toothpaste was sent to Central America
March 2007 Melamine is found in wheat gluten exports from China for use in pet food, prompting a recall of at least 100 pet food brands
Nov 2006 A dye farmers fed to ducks to make their eggs look fresher is found to contain cancer-causing properties and 5,000 ducks are culled
August 2006 About 40 people in Beijing contract meningitis after eating partially cooked snails at a chain of restaurants

Panama removed the brands from shops last week after tests found they tested positive for the chemical.
Consumers in both countries have been advised not to use the products.
On Wednesday, the Chinese government said a joint team from several government agencies was conducting investigations in both Beijing and the eastern province Jiangsu, and that the results would be made public as soon as possible.
A series of recent incidents have highlighted international concerns over the safety of Chinese products. The subject was raised by the US in bilateral trade talks this week.
Earlier this year pet food ingredients from China contaminated with the chemical melamine were blamed for the deaths of dogs and cats in the US, leading to a massive pet food recall.
On Wednesday China's official China Daily newspaper issued an editorial criticising the country's food safety regulators and their response to this earlier crisis.
However, it also said that while some exported food did not meet international standards, the biggest problem was China's domestic food safety situation.
"It is an open secret here that our manufacturers usually employ higher standards when it comes to exports," it said.


Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China probes 'tainted' toothpaste

Published: 2007/05/23 16:00:11 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Hmmm, I'm starting to think people need to be wary of buying products that contain ingredients made in China...

Something hokey is going on over there.

That means our whole economy is down the drain(no pun intended)
Everything is made over there for fuck sake

I have been uncomfortable importing Chinese food products for a long time. I worked for a company that imported asian foods and products from China always worried me. We bought too much tainted food like rice and grains from there.

Well thats basicly their 2 major and only exports

It may be their major food exports, but not their only ones. I have too many personal horror stories of Chinese food exports to trust them,

When are we going to get those hand fitted toilet paper wipes??

I think your meds are getting to you lad...

CNN — LOU DOBBS TONIGHT — Aired May 29, 2007 - 18:00 ET

DOBBS: Communist China tonight says it will crack down on those dangerous exports to the United States. Some of those exports, such as deadly pet food, contaminated human food, dangerous toys and other products, obviously already in this country. Beijing says that crackdown is serious.

The former head of food safety in China understands what serious means. He's been sentenced to death.

But as Kitty Pilgrim reports, the global crisis over communist China's dangerous exports continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In China, the head of the national food and drug agency sentenced to death for taking almost $1 million in bribes. On the job for seven years and fired in 2005, he was convicted of approving fake medications that ended up killing people in China who took them.

Some of China's corrupt manufacturers have been caught in recent weeks adding medical melamine to pet food, toxic chemicals to toothpaste, a chemical used in antifreeze to cough syrup, all exported to markets around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a surprising (ph) concern, because I know how much is coming over into the U.S. from China, and that is growing and growing. And meanwhile, it looks like we haven't been doing a very good job at all of making sure that those products are safe.

PILGRIM: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says China is the largest exporter of toys and baby products to the United States and has the largest number of recalls.

China's state agency admitted 20 percent of toys and baby clothes made in China are unsafe. Chinese inspectors found toy animals were stuffed with low quality materials, and even garbage. And toys were so badly made, loose parts could be easily pulled free. Baby clothes, milk powder contain chemicals that could be a health hazard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a quarter trillion dollars of imports coming from China, and none of the products can be relied upon to be safe. From the food to the toys -- first of all, there are very few rules in China. And second of all, there's really no enforcement of the rules that do exist.

PILGRIM: The current worry, lead in children's metal jewelry. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission says they've recalled 165 million rings and bracelets and necklaces made in China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PILGRIM: Chinese manufacturers are using a host of methods to dodge U.S. inspections. Sometimes the products are mislabeled, or when the Chinese manufacturer is targeted for inspection they've been known to change the name of their company to avoid detection -- Lou.

DOBBS: Well, you know, as -- just ridiculous is what China is doing. Far more concerning to me is what the United States is doing.

We are sitting here bringing these products in without any inspection, without any sort of consumer protection whatsoever. We're the idiots here, permitting this kind of nonsense. And the corporations are importing this junk. And deadly junk at that.

They really need to be held to some -- I would think some standard. Say, one of decency.

PILGRIM: Many of the watchdog agencies that we talked to today said the importers should be held responsible for testing. And I think that they...

DOBBS: Yes, but which nervy, clever government agency is going to do that? If Congress hadn't begun looking into this, and if watchdog groups hadn't started looking into this, who knows what would happen.

PILGRIM: You know, it's interesting...

DOBBS: If I hear one more idiot talking about a free market working when they talk about communist China, I mean, it's enough to make you nauseous.

PILGRIM: When you get legislation, say, on children's products, that's when you get some inspections and some results.

DOBBS: Oh, for crying out loud. But as you're reporting, we're bringing in stuffed animals with garbage in them. I mean -- and by the way, that's one of our leading exports in the United States to China, soybeans and waste products. So I guess what goes around comes around, is the way that would be described.

Kitty, thank you.

Kitty Pilgrim.

lol! I'm intrigued