Dubai Municipality confiscated more than a tonne of poisonous Chinese toothpastes from suppliers in Deira yesterday.
The six contaminated brands were about to be handed over to traders from Murshid and Naif bazaars when the seizure was made.
The inspectors who included leading pharmacists and cosmetic experts were tipped off about the dangerous dental products by Emirates Today's sister paper Emarat Al Youm.
Dr Hareth Al Omari, of the municipality clinic and community health section, said: "Inspectors collected 70 sam ples which were analysed at Dubai Central Laboratory. They were found to be containing poisonous materials." According to Al Omari, analysis revealed that the six brands contained diethylene glycol, "a dangerous material used in clearing factory floors of grease".
He said the inspectors confiscated the 1.3 tonnes of toothpaste from 20 leading importers who were about to hand over them to retail traders. Other amounts were seized at shops selling Chinese products and others selling very low-priced items.
Last week Saudi Arabia removed seven brands of Chinese toothpaste from the shelves after tests revealed they contained poisonous chemicals. Officials in Qatar also confiscated Chinese dental products following warnings made by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June.
Dubai Municipality has responded to the health scare by asking suppliers to withdraw any Chinese toothpaste brands from the market.
The official said the municipality was also testing famous brands to ensure those products do not contain the same poisonous chemicals.
By Ahmed Ashour
© Emirates Today 2007
