DOCs Can’t Brush Off Contaminated Toothpaste

ATLANTA — More than 900,000 tubes of contaminated toothpaste were recalled after they were distributed at prisons and other facilities across the United States.


The Chinese-produced toothpaste was contaminated with diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze, and costs approximately $.23 per tube.


The contaminant is a low-cost substitute for glycerin, a sweetener in many drugs.


Almost 6,000 cases of contaminated toothpaste were distributed throughout the Georgia corrections system. In addition, the Washington State DOC pulled tubes of the Chinese-made toothpaste out of five of its facilities.