Mr. Arias reported his discovery, setting off a worldwide hunt for tainted toothpaste that turned out to be manufactured in China. Health alerts have now been issued in 34 countries, from Vietnam to Kenya, from Tonga in the Pacific to Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. Canada found 24 contaminated brands and New Zealand found 16. Japan had 20 million tubes. Officials in the United States unwittingly gave the toothpaste to prisoners, the mentally disabled and troubled youths. Hospitals gave it to the sick, while high-end hotels gave it to the wealthy.
And here's the punchline. The ingredient, it turns out, was not there by subterfuge, not an industrial shortcut, not a contaminant - it was right where it was supposed to be, listed on the label as an ingredient: diethylene glycol. Until Arias got around to it, nobody (I'm being charitable here) looked.
These are the same guys, let's remember - not the same people, maybe, but the same agencies - that won't let you take your bottled water on an airplane. These are the same guys who want you to believe - oh yeah, Bunky, don't worry - all the cargo entering the country is screened, the same guys who claim it's dangerous to buy lower-cost Canadian drugs (even some which are imported to Canada from the US) because - OMG! - they might not meet FDA standards, the same guys who want to data-mine your phone calls - keeping you safe, Bunky, ho ho ho - and they can't be bothered to read the label on the toothpaste.
Look. Bad on China for putting the stuff in there. And the lead in the paint, and whatever else. But let's not fall for the blame-China gag when the fault lies here at home.
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