U.S. inspects toothpaste imported from China

U.S. health officials are beginning to check all shipments of toothpaste coming from China after reports of tainted Chinese products in other countries, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration has no evidence that contaminated toothpaste has made its way into the United States but is taking the step as a precaution, agency spokesman Doug Arbesfeld said.

China -- the second-largest exporter of toothpaste to the United States behind Canada, according to the FDA -- has been at the forefront of growing concerns about its standards as well as the U.S. government’s ability to monitor foods and other products.

FDA’s action comes after the lethal chemical diethylene glycol was found in toothpaste sold in the Dominican Republic and Panama.

It follows a wave of concern over pet food ingredients from China containing another toxic chemical, melamine, thought to have sickened thousands of U.S. cats and dogs and made its way into livestock feed.

Tests on products pulled from shelves in Panama showed they contained high levels of diethylene glycol, which is used in engine coolants. Investigators in that country said two toothpaste brands were imported illegally from China through a free-trade zone.

It was not immediately clear which brands of toothpaste sold in the United States are made in China.