China And Imports

So, we must have done something to piss China off. I wouldn't put it past us. As Americans, we tend to piss everyone off. Why do I say this? Well, first they try to poison our beloved pets with tainted wheat gluten, and succeeded on a number of counts (thank God none that I know), and now they are trying to poison humans with toothpaste. We won't even mention the puffer fish, but the article does.

China called a U.S. warning to consumers to avoid Chinese toothpaste because it may contain a poisonous chemical "unscientific, irresponsible and contradictory."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration increased its scrutiny of toothpaste made in China because of reports that the products may contain diethylene glycol, a thickening agent used in antifreeze and also as a low-cost — but frequently deadly — substitute for glycerin, a sweetener commonly used in drugs.

In a statement posted on its Web site late Saturday, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said low levels of the chemical have been deemed safe for consumption...

It is an ingredient in anti freeze! If I wanted to brush my teeth with antifreeze I would buy that, not toothpaste! Not only that, but considering the wheat gluten issue, do I want to listen to China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, or the FDA?

A slew of Chinese exports have recently been banned or turned away by U.S. inspectors including, wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine that has been blamed for dog and cat deaths in North America, monk fish that turned out to be toxic puffer fish, drug-laced frozen eel, and juice made with unsafe color additives.

DEG was blamed for the deaths of 51 people in Panama after they took tainted cold medicine. China has admitted it was the source of the deadly chemical but insists it was originally labeled as for industrial use only.

Officials in Panama and several other Latin American countries have removed tens of thousands of tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste from stores amid concerns that they contain DEG...

There is a trend here...

You can read the entire article here. After you read the whole thing you can decide for yourself whether China should have their panties in a bunch because the FDA won't let some of their products into our market. Personally? In this instance, I an glad we have the FDA and they are doing their job. I will go to bed tonight and pray that they keep doing so, and that they are good at what they do.