Poisonous Toothpaste Discovered In Chicago Stores
Attorney General: Counterfeit Toothpaste Either Says It's From South Africa Or China
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Derrick Blakley
Reporting
(CBS) CHICAGO Illinois state inspectors say they have discovered a poisonous counterfeit brand of toothpaste in local Chicago stores.
As CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, inspectors for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan went out to 20 Chicago stores on Wednesday, and found 483 tubes of counterfeit Colgate toothpaste being sold in five Chicago stores.
This follows nationwide warnings that instead of containing fluoride, the counterfeit toothpaste contains diethylene glycol, a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze and as a solvent. "Diethelyne gylcol is a central nervous system depressant. It's a toxin that can be bad for liver or kidneys," Madigan said. Diethylene glycol can even lead to death.
The majority of the fake toothpaste turned up in low-end discount stores on the West and Northwest sides.
Madigan said it is not hard to tell if you have a counterfeit tube of toothpaste. Consumers can spot the potentially poisonous Colgate because the box says it's manufactured in South Africa, circled in the lower right hand corner and because basic directions are misspelled, shown in the upper left hand corner. Also on Chicago shelves: Colgate made in China, not necessarily poisonous, but not intended for sale in the United States.
Insepctors from the Attorney General's office found 483 tubes of the two bootleg versions in five small, neighborhood stores, inlcuding Homan Foods where the shopkeeper says, he and his family even used it.
"Not going to buy them no more, not going to use them no more, that's for sure," said Ibrahim Alsaleh. "Now I have to check with my doctor to see if something happened to us."
"If it says 'South Africa' on it, or if you see a container and it simply has Chinese writing on it, those are either counterfeit or they are not approved for sale in the United States," Madigan said. "The tubes should immediately be removed from your bathroom. They should not be used by you or your family members. If the tube says distributed by Colgate Palmolive, New York, New York, it can be made in the United States, Canada, Mexico or the UK and is considered safe."
Madigan also said if consumers find counterfeit toothpaste in their homes, they should also contact Colgate to get a refund or a product replacement. Colgate will send you a prepaid envelope to send the product back to them. Colgate can be reached at (800) 468-6502.
Further, people who are out shopping and discover the product on a store shelf should contact the attorney general's office at (888) 414-7678 so their inspectors can get it off the shelves, Madigan said. More information can be found at 
Meanwhile, the attorney general's office is continuing its inspections of Chicago stores, keeping an eye out for any more of the tainted toothpaste.
Inspectors found large quantities of the bogus brands at Midwest Cash 'n Carry, but the owners insist they had no way of knowing the product was suspect.
"My question is: why didn't customs catch this?" asked John Zaremba of Midwest Cash 'n Carry. "And if this is coming in and we can't catch a tube of toothpaste coming, what else is coming?"
Madigan says that's a good point. Less than one percent of products imported into the United States get inspected at all.
The FDA issued warnings about tainted toothpaste from China and South Africa last month. The first Chinese products were shipped were little-known brands manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading in China, and while the South African products said Colgate, officials from Colgate-Palmolive said the company does not ship products from South Africa.
The stores where the tainted toothpaste was found are: Eagle 99 Plus Eagle, at 3201 W. Lawrence Ave.; Pick n Pay, at 4912 W. Madison St.; Payless Dollar, at 5616 W. Madison St.; Homan Foods, at 3358 W. LeMoyne St.; and Midwest Cash & Carry, at 2577 W. Armitage Ave.
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