MFDS to Inspect All Imported Aekyung "2080 Toothpaste" Products

Investigation into Suspected Triclosan Contamination
On-Site Inspection Underway at Chinese Manufacturer

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will expand inspections to cover all imported products of Aekyung’s “2080 Toothpaste” line, which are reported to contain triclosan-a substance banned from use in toothpaste in Korea.

On January 16, the ministry announced that it is conducting inspections on all manufacturing batches of six imported 2080 Toothpaste products from Aekyung Industrial. It also stated that an on-site inspection is underway at Domy, the Chinese manufacturer of these products.

The products suspected of containing triclosan are the following six types: 2080 Basic Toothpaste, 2080 Daily Care Toothpaste, 2080 Classic Care Toothpaste, 2080 Triple Effect Alpha Strong Toothpaste, 2080 Triple Effect Alpha Fresh Toothpaste, and 2080 Smart Care Plus Toothpaste.

The ministry explained that it has collected and is directly testing all 870 available manufacturing batches of these six toothpaste products, which have been manufactured by Domy in China since February 2023 and imported by Aekyung Industrial into Korea. However, five manufacturing batches that could not be collected are excluded. To further address consumer concerns, the ministry is also collecting and testing 128 types of domestically produced 2080 Toothpaste made by Aekyung Industrial. The comprehensive inspection results from the ministry are expected to be announced as early as next week.

In addition, the ministry has dispatched an on-site inspection team to Domy in order to investigate how triclosan was mixed into the toothpaste products. Should any violations of pharmaceutical laws be identified upon review of the inspection and on-site investigation results, the ministry plans to take strict administrative action.

Previously, on January 7, Aekyung Industrial voluntarily recalled six types of Chinese-made toothpaste after confirming the presence of triclosan. The company estimated that approximately 25 million units containing the problematic ingredient may have been distributed in the market. The concentration of triclosan found in the recalled products was determined to be up to 0.15% or less.

Triclosan is a preservative used to prevent products from spoiling easily. In Korea, its use in oral care products has been banned since October 2016. In Europe, up to 0.3% triclosan is permitted in toothpaste, and in 2010, the United States Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel also assessed that using triclosan in toothpaste within the 0.15-0.3% range is considered safe.