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,” which are reported to contain triclosan, an ingredient banned for 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, and is also carrying out an on-site inspection of Domy, the Chinese manufacturer of these products.
The six products suspected of containing triclosan are: “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 inspecting all products from 870 manufacturing batches of these six types of toothpaste, which have been manufactured by Domy in China since February 2023 and imported into Korea by Aekyung Industrial. However, five manufacturing batches that could not be collected have been excluded. In addition, to address consumer concerns, the Ministry stated that it is also collecting and inspecting 128 types of domestically produced 2080 Toothpaste made by Aekyung Industrial in Korea. The comprehensive inspection results from the Ministry are expected to be announced as early as next week.
The Ministry has also dispatched an on-site inspection team to Domy to investigate how triclosan was introduced into the toothpaste products. After reviewing the results of the inspections and the on-site investigation, the Ministry plans to take strict administrative action if any violations of pharmaceutical regulations are confirmed.
Previously, on January 7, Aekyung Industrial voluntarily began recalling six types of Chinese-made toothpaste found to contain triclosan, estimating that approximately 25 million units with the potentially problematic ingredient had been distributed in the market. The concentration of triclosan detected in the recalled products was found 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 at concentrations between 0.15% and 0.3% is considered safe.
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