More alerts over Chinese made products

Canadian and U.S. authorities have issued warnings to consumers regarding Chinese-made counterfeit toothpaste after more tainted products have been discovered in stores.

The latest tests on the fake products by Canadian health officials have added to the mounting concern over the safety and quality of many goods coming out of China.

The preliminary tests have revealed that counterfeit Colgate toothpaste may contain even more harmful bacteria than authorities first suspected, say Health Canada officials.

In it's second warning in two weeks Health Canada says consumers should avoid Chinese made toothpaste because 21 products were found laced with harmful levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), an industrial solvent used in some antifreeze products which is sometimes illegally used as an inexpensive sweetener and thickening agent.

It can cause serious liver and kidney problems.

Colgate-Palmolive says the products are fakes and that it does not use, nor has ever used, diethylene glycol as an ingredient in its toothpaste anywhere in the world.

Canadian consumers have also been warned to avoid another counterfeit toothpaste labeled "Manufactured in South Africa," include misspellings on their packaging such as "isclinically" "SOUTH AFRLCA" and "South African Dental Assoxiation."

These products have been found in discount chain stores and are said to contain higher levels than first thought of harmful bacteria.

The toothpaste products are labelled as Colgate Fluoride Toothpaste Herbal and Colgate Fluoride Toothpaste Maximum Cavity Protection and Health Canada says they must be avoided and removed from shelves in stores.

The U.S. too has experienced problems as despite an import alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June, the Department of Public Health in Massachusetts says they too have found the suspect toothpaste in stores in nearly a dozen districts.

The fake products were found in small, independent dollar-type discount stores and bargain outlets.

Colgate-Palmolive says it is working closely with the FDA to identify those responsible and inspectors say they have removed more than 700 tubes of toothpaste from Connecticut stores over concerns about whether they're counterfeit or contain a toxic substance.

More than 230 of the seized tubes were produced in China, and had been either tainted or contaminated and hundreds more were counterfeit brands produced in South Africa.

The warnings come amid growing concern in the United States and Latin America over the safety of Chinese products after a series of recalls and bans on a range of items, from children's toys to toothpaste.

In Panama investigations continue following the deaths of 83 people last year after taking medicines contaminated with a Chinese-made toxin and that death toll is expected to rise.