Additive in toothpaste raises fresh fears over food

Toothpaste that contains the antibacterial agent triclosan has again raised questions over the safety of food and other products in China.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said recently that it would start a new round of safety reviews of triclosan. There have been suggestions that the chemical may lead to cancer.

The toothpaste brands implicated include Crest and Colgate. According to P&G China, only two Crest toothpaste brands that contain triclosan are sold in China: Crest Multi-Care and Crest Night-Time. It also said the amounts of the chemical comply with Chinese regulatory requirements, 0.3 percent of the total weight of the toothpaste.

Colgate-Palmolive China said it had already stopped producing Colgate Total, its only toothpaste with triclosan, this year for marketing reasons.

Apart from being used in some toothpastes, triclosan has been widely used in other products such as soap.

In 2005 experts at Virginia Tech University reported that triclosan could react with chlorine in tap water and over a long time exposure could produce chloroform, which is regarded as possibly carcinogenic.

According to studies on laboratory animals, it said, triclosan might alter hormone regulation and cause antibiotic resistance.

The FDA said it needs more evidence because it is still unclear whether the substance is hazardous to humans. The results of its triclosan review are not due to be made public until late next year.

Some experts said there is no need for consumers to overreact regarding the chemical.

Li Gang, a professor of preventive dentistry at the Fourth Military Medical University, in Xi'an, central China, said the chemical's potential dangers to humans depend on the amounts used, and the amount of triclosan that people are exposed to each day is very small.

Even so, the case has rekindled fears among consumers about food safety.

Lu Fang, of Shanghai, said: "It's terrible to know that such chemicals may lead to cancer. I don't know what products are really safe these days."

Lu said her family has stopped buying Crest toothpaste after using it for many years.

"I've looked at some other toothpastes," she said, but it was unclear to her whether they contained dangerous substances.

Yang Liang, a teacher in the social development department at Zhejiang University, said that over the past few decades China had witnessed staggering economic growth that had brought numerous opportunities and raised living standards for hundreds of millions.

"Meanwhile, many kinds of strains have emerged. Food and product safety are among the top concerns."

Since the tainted milk scandal in 2008 that left at least six children dead and more than 300,000 ill, fears have grown about food and products safety, he said.

"It's time for government to severely punish those who violate safety standards More and more internationally renowned companies that have long enjoyed great trust and confidence among consumers are being implicated in these violations."

Many such companies claimed to work in line with international practice and Chinese regulations, he said.

This year cities such as Shanghai and Beijing said they will offer rewards to people who blow the whistle on food safety violations such as the use of illegal food additives.

(China Daily 09/09/2011 page3)