Mozambique on Wednesday lifted a ban on the sale of Colgate toothpaste made in South Africa, after analysis showed that the quantity of chemical substances in it was not detrimental to health.
"Analysis carried out at national and international levels have verified that Colgate is not detrimental to health," the ministries of health and trade said in a joint communique."For this reason, we have decided to authorise anew the sale and consumption of this product," the text said.
In July, the two ministries withdrew some 42,000 tubes of Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection after they detected a counterfeit version of the product bearing a "Made in South Africa" stamp, but containing absurd expiry dates such as 32/07/2008 and 34/06/2008.
The bogus toothpaste contained diethylene glycol, legitimately used in solvents and anti-freeze but illegally used as cheap sweetener and thickening agent and as a counterfeit glycerine.
If ingested, it can cause abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, damage to the kidneys and liver and can even lead to death if taken in large doses.
Similar Colgate toothpastes popped up in many super-bargain stores in the United States in June, most with mispelt names and words such as "South Afrlca" and "isclinically".
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Colgate closed its toothpaste factory four months ago in Mozambique, leaving only a distribution unit for South African products.
Source-AFP
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