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Why are you initiating a voluntary recall in the U.S.?
What happened that caused the FDA to recall your product?
What is DEG?
How did DEG end up in your toothpaste?
How was DEG detected in your toothpaste?
What should I do if I have some of your company's contaminated toothpaste?
Has your product caused any illnesses or deaths?
Are there any side effects or symptoms I should be looking for?
When will your toothpaste product be safe to use again?
Where can I get more information on this issue?
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Why are you initiating a voluntary recall in the U.S.?
Safety is our highest priority. We initiated a voluntary recall to ensure that the toothpaste
made by one of our Chinese suppliers and which may contain diethylene glycol (DEG), is safely
disposed of and/or destroyed.
The FDA recall process offers the broadest and most credible mass notification process for hotel
guests who may have taken the complimentary, small-sized (.65 oz/18ml) toothpaste home.
To further help notify repeat guests of our hotel chain clients, we are working with each of our
affected hotel clients on a Guest Notification Program. The Guest Notification Program will alert
hotel guests, who may have acquired Gilchrist & Soames brand (.65 ounce) toothpaste in the past
12 months, to stop using and safely dispose of the toothpaste immediately. The Program also contains
the FDA Web address for current toothpaste recalls and information, and our toll-free number for
consumer inquiries.
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What happened that caused the FDA to recall your product?
The FDA did not initiate or request this recall. We initiated a voluntary recall of our
toothpaste product with the FDA after we identified the presence of DEG in toothpaste samples from
one of our China suppliers. We regret this incident and apologize to our hotel clients and their
guests for any concern this has caused.
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What is DEG?
Diethylene glycol (DEG), also known as "diglycol," is a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze and
as a solvent.
By way of background, we believe the DEG was present in the glycerin product, which is used in our
toothpaste formulation, as it is in the formulation of many leading US toothpaste brands. Glycerin
is an important and safe ingredient in toothpaste.
DEG has many properties that perform similarly to glycerin, but DEG is not a safe ingredient for
toothpaste. DEG is not in our toothpaste formulation, and DEG should never have been used in the
manufacture of our toothpaste.
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How did DEG end up in your toothpaste?
After receiving the FDA alert June 1 about tainted toothpaste manufactured in China, we
immediately contacted our two China toothpaste suppliers and asked them to begin independent lab
testing for the presence of DEG in our toothpaste. We initiated similar independent lab testing in
the US.
By way of background, we believe the DEG was present in the glycerin product, which is used in our
toothpaste formulation, as it is in the formulation of many leading US toothpaste brands. Glycerin
is an important and safe ingredient in toothpaste. DEG has many properties that perform similarly to
glycerin, but DEG is not a safe ingredient for toothpaste. DEG is not in our toothpaste formulation,
and DEG should never have been used in the manufacture of our toothpaste.
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How was DEG detected in your toothpaste?
Testing for DEG requires a Gas Chromatograph specifically “trained” to analyze for
DEG. A person or company has to know there is a risk of DEG contamination to know to look for DEG
contamination. Until the FDA became aware of the DEG contamination risk in China toothpaste, we
didn’t know of the need to test for DEG contamination.
When the FDA advised consumers on June 1, 2007 to avoid using toothpaste labeled, “Made in
China,” we stopped shipments and quarantined all of our “Made in China”
toothpaste. We notified all of our US and EU hotel clients soon thereafter, suggesting that they
stop offering Chinese-made Gilchrist & Soames branded toothpaste to their guests until further
investigation and independent testing by Gilchrist & Soames and the FDA. We attached FDA’s
June 1, 2007 media alert advising consumers to avoid toothpaste from China. We took these steps even
though our toothpaste was not among those cited in the FDA warning.
We conducted multiple rounds of independent and certified lab tests in both Hong Kong and the United
States, and on the fifth round of tests, we found the presence of DEG in levels exceeding FDA
guidelines in some samples from one of our China suppliers. We immediately began the process of a
voluntary FDA recall of our affected toothpaste.
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What should I do if I have some of your company's contaminated toothpaste?
Dispose of the toothpaste immediately. We recommend placing the toothpaste in a sealed trash
container to prevent young children or pets from accidentally ingesting it.
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Has your product caused any illnesses or deaths?
None of which we are aware. The FDA is also not aware of any illnesses or deaths resulting from
any of the Chinese-manufactured toothpaste.
The FDA has expressed concern about the lack of information about chronic exposure to DEG and
exposure to DEG in certain populations, such as children and individuals with kidney or liver
disease. DEG in toothpaste has a low but meaningful risk of toxicity and injury to these
populations. Toothpaste is not intended to be swallowed, but the FDA is concerned about
unintentional swallowing or ingestion of toothpaste containing DEG.
The FDA has stated that they have received no reports of anyone being poisoned by toothpaste
containing DEG. The primary concern appears to be for children who might swallow toothpaste with
DEG. We are thankful that the small size of our tubes (.65oz/18ml) may help reduce the risk.
However, we strongly encourage consumers to dispose of any of the recalled toothpaste they may still
have.
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Are there any side effects or symptoms I should be looking for?
The FDA has expressed concern about the lack of information about chronic exposure to DEG and
exposure to DEG in certain populations, such as children and individuals with kidney or liver
disease. The FDA has stated that they have received no reports of anyone being poisoned by
toothpaste containing DEG.
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When will your toothpaste product be safe to use again?
We have contracts with multiple toothpaste suppliers, and we have an existing inventory of
toothpaste products that have been proven safe. Since the FDA Alert on June 1, we have only shipped
toothpaste manufactured in either the United States or United Kingdom.
Our main focus now is working with the FDA and RAPEX (Europe’s Recall Commission) to ensure
that the toothpaste made for us by one of our Chinese suppliers and which may contain diethylene
glycol (DEG), is safely disposed of and/or destroyed.
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Where can I get more information on this issue?
For more information, please visit the following FDA Web pages:
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