China toothpaste to stop using antifreeze component

BEIJING, June 15 (Reuters) A Chinese firm accused of manufacturing tainted toothpaste said it has stopped using a chemical found in antifreeze, Xinhua news agency reported today amid a row about the safety of Chinese products.

Shanghai White Cat Shareholding Co. Ltd, maker of ''MAXAM'' toothpaste, said in a statement the company stopped using diethylene glycol, or DEG, in all products on May 21.

The statement said DEG, a thickening agent used in antifreeze, was commonly used in toothpaste.

''Tests indicate that a low level of DEG does not threaten health,'' the company was quoted as saying.

China's quality control watchdog said yesterday it hoped Hong Kong would allow three brands of home-made toothpastes --MAXAM Toothpaste with Fluoride, SANQI and Tianqi -- back on to supermarket shelves.

Hong Kong's ban was the latest in a slate of recalls and warnings linked to Chinese toothpaste. The United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Panama and several other Latin American and Caribbean countries have taken similar action.

Panama says at least 100 people died after taking cough syrup which contained DEG rather than the glycerine which was supposed to have been used.

China blamed the media last week for stoking fears about the safety of its food and drugs, but senior officials acknowledged that it was not realistic to expect a 100 per cent quality guarantee.

They were reacting to a series of scandals that have plagued Chinese products, from the poisoned cough syrup in Panama to tainted pet food in the United States, and shaken global confidence in the made-in-China label.

REUTERS SLD ND1528