China defends use of chemical in toothpaste

Chinese officials maintain that toothpaste containing diethylene glycol is safe to use, saying that a U.S. advisory urging consumers not to use Chinese-made toothpaste was "unscientific."

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said Saturday on its website that diethylene glycol usedto makeantifreeze does not pose a health risk.

Chinese officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had already cleared the toothpaste for sale in the U.S. and they alsonoted that the European Union has allowed small amounts ofdiethylene glycol to be added tocertain products.

"Therefore the warning issued by the FDA is unscientific, irresponsible and contradictory," the agency said.

In May, officials in the Dominican Republic pulled tubes of Excel and Mr. Cool toothpaste made in Chinaafter learning the products contained diethylene glycol. Panama also recalled the toothpaste from the marketplace.

Health officials initially said they did not believe the toothpaste had been distributed in the U.S. but on Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had intercepted one shipment of toothpaste containing diethylene glycol.

China's food and drug safety record has come under scrutiny in recent months as tests on the country's exports have detected the presence of potentially harmful ingredients

Tests have indicated that wheat flour, used in North American pet food, was tainted with melamine a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer.

In May, Canada's food watchdog intercepted a shipment of corn gluten imported from China that tested positive for melamine. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is continuing to check shipments of wheat, rice, soy and corn gluten and protein concentrates coming into the country from China.