Amid criticism that Aekyung Industrial Co.'s "2080 toothpaste," which contained a banned ingredient, had been sold in Korea for the past three years, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said on the 9th it "plans to investigate how triclosan was mixed into the product in question."

Aekyung Industrial Co. initiates a voluntary recall after a banned substance is detected in its toothpaste products. CJ Olive Young, which sells a travel set containing the product, also notifies consumers of a product recall./Courtesy of Aekyung Industrial Co. website screenshot

The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said it is "directly collecting and testing the six toothpastes at issue (manufactured by Domy)" and added, "We plan to investigate the route by which triclosan was mixed in through on-site inspections of the company, and if there are any violations of laws such as quality control of imported products, we will take strict measures including administrative action."

On the 6th, Aekyung Industrial Co. said, "We confirmed that trace amounts of the preservative triclosan were mixed into six toothpastes that were manufactured through a Chinese producer (Domy) and imported and sold among our products," and added, "If you have any of the products, please apply for a return through our website or customer service center."

The products subject to recall are six types: ▲2080 Basic Toothpaste ▲2080 Daily Care Toothpaste ▲2080 Smart Care Plus Toothpaste ▲2080 Classic Care Toothpaste ▲2080 Triple Effect Alpha Fresh Toothpaste ▲2080 Triple Effect Alpha Strong Toothpaste.

Triclosan, an antimicrobial used in toothpaste to prevent periodontal disease and remove bad breath, became controversial over safety after studies found it causes liver fibrosis and cancer. After the European Union (EU) restricted its use, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety also revised regulations in 2016 to prohibit the use of triclosan.

Aekyung Industrial Co. said the six toothpastes at issue have been imported since 2023. Including the "2080 Basic Toothpaste" currently being recalled, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety tested 30 toothpastes distributed domestically last year for triclosan content, and all items were confirmed as "not detected."

The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said, "Some U.S. states do operate their own standards, but in the case of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no regulation restricting the use of triclosan in toothpaste. The European Union, Canada and China are understood to allow use up to 0.3%."

According to Aekyung Industrial Co.'s own test results, triclosan was detected at up to 0.15% in the six products. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said it "will carefully examine the safety of toothpaste and thoroughly manage the safety of quasi-drugs so the public can feel assured."

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