When money is god

BBC NEWS | Americas | US warns over Chinese toothpaste

US officials have warned consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China after a shipment was found to contain a poisonous chemical used in anti-freeze.

The Food and Drug Administration said it could contain diethylene glycol, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 50 people in Panama last year.

The brands affected are usually sold at "bargain" retail outlets, the FDA said.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Panama 'to blame for fatal syrup'

China has blamed Panamanian firms for passing off a Chinese industrial solvent for use in medicines, so causing dozens of deaths in Panama.

A Chinese official said Panamanian firms doctored paperwork to mislabel the chemical's use and shelf life.

These comments come amid a series of health scares about Chinese products.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China probes 'tainted' toothpaste

China says is investigating reports that toothpaste contaminated with a potentially lethal chemical had been exported to Central America.

Thousands of tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste have been confiscated in Panama and the Dominican Republic.

The toothpaste contains diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in engine coolants, authorities there say.

BBC NEWS | Business | China cracks down on food safety

China has pledged to clean up its tainted food and drug industry after a series of safety scares that have aroused global concern.

The announcement comes as two company managers were detained, accused of adding melamine to food additives.

The contaminated ingredient used in pet food led to the death of a number of cats and dogs, US inspectors allege.

Unregulated drugs have also been a concern. China's top drugs regulator is to go on trial charged with corruption.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China tightens net on fake drugs

China is to review tens of thousands of drug licences as part of an investigation into a graft scandal.

The inquiry has already led to the sacking of the head of the State Food and Drug Administration.

According to Chinese media, corruption at the drug agency runs so deep that Beijing is considering closing it down entirely.

Dozens of people across the country have died from illegally produced or fake drugs in recent years.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Nine killed by fake Chinese drug

Nine people have died in China after being injected with a drug containing a fake ingredient, authorities say.

They died after being given the drug, which treats gall bladder, liver and gastric disorders, at a hospital in southern Guangdong province.

The Chinese company that made the drug has blamed a supplier for delivering a toxic chemical in place of the genuine ingredients.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China blames 97 over milk scandal

China is to punish 97 government officials over the sale of fake milk powder that caused the deaths of at least 13 babies, state media says.

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Investigators uncovered more than 100 factories making bogus formula, consisting mostly of starch and water.