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New rules to reshuffle toothpastes industry

By Shangguan Zhoudong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-04 16:39

China's health ministry is formulating new standards and regulations to standardize the toothpaste industry, according to information from a recent oral health seminar, Chinanews.com.cn reported today.

The Ministry of Health has drafted evaluation criteria for oral healthcare products and submitted it to the ministry's standardization committee for examination, meaning toothpastes will have regulations to abide by in the future, according to Mao Qunan, the ministry's spokesman.

Related readings:  HK called to resume sale of allegedly tainted toothpastes  Watchdog rejects US's toothpaste warning

Tong Yu, chairman of Jiangsu Snow Leopard Household Chemical Co Ltd, a toothpaste producer, said the new certification standards will improve the overall quality of China's toothpaste industry.

An insider said that the recent toothpaste-related scandal was due to the nation's lacking toothpaste safety measures and certification standards. Toothpastes have caused widespread health concerns in recent years.

Earlier in June, the US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers of risks in using some made-in-China toothpastes because they may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze.

The National Committee for Oral Health, an organization that certified oral healthcare products but was never officially registered with the Certification and Accreditation Administration and was not qualified to approve products, was recently abolished.