Authorities seized about 50 tubes of toothpaste labelled "Excel" and "Mr. Cool" from a Panama City store last week after a customer noticed their labels said they contained the chemical diethylene glycol. Experts at the University of Panama confirmed through tests that the toothpastes contained about a 2.5 percent level of the chemical.

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"This toxic substance should not be in the contents ... of a dental product," the ministry said in a statement. It noted the substance, which is apparently used as a substitute for a more expensive sweetener and thickener, "is prohibited for use in cosmetics, foods and pharmaceuticals." Government officials are investigating who manufactured the products and where they were made - information not listed on the toothpaste tubes' labels - as well as how they got into the country.

Authorities temporarily closed the Panama City store that sold the toothpastes. However, the country's customs director, Daniel Delgado, said Tuesday that the products entered Panama legally with an authorisation seal from the Health Ministry.

51 lives claimed
Starting in October, 51 people - and as many as 100 - died after taking medicine contaminated with diethylene glycol. The substance was found in cough syrup, antihistamine tablets, calamine lotion and rash ointment made in a Panama government laboratory from a falsely labelled shipment workers thought was glycerin.

Some manufacturers have been accused of using diethylene glycol to substitute glycerin, which is often processed from animal fats and occurs naturally in the human body. The sweet liquid can thicken cough syrup and other remedies while preventing them from dissolving in water, and is used in a variety of medicines worldwide. – (Sapa-AP)

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Oral health Centre
Meds and You Centre

May 2007
 

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