“Neem Active” brand toothpaste is a popular item in many stores around the
world, but Canadian health officials have banned it
TORONTO: The Canadian health department has advised people against using a
Neem toothpaste from India, claiming that it contains high levels of harmful
bacteria and a chemical found in antifreeze, which was discovered earlier.
Neem Active Toothpaste with Calcium, made by Calcutta Chemical Co Ltd. in
India, should not be used, Health Canada warned.
It claimed that ingesting the product could trigger fever, urinary tract
infections and gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and
abdominal pain. The health department warning noted that while toothpaste is
not meant to be swallowed, young children often do so while brushing their
teeth. Children and people with weakened immune systems would be at the
highest risk of negative side-effects from using the toothpaste, Health
Canada said, adding that Neem Active Toothpaste is not approved for sale in
Canada.
“Infants, children and vulnerable populations such as patients hospitalised
for severe underlying diseases or with compromised immune systems are more
sensitive to these effects. Severe vomiting and diarrhoea could lead to
potentially life-threatening dehydration,” it said in a press release. Late
last month, Health Canada warned Canadians not to use the toothpaste because
it alleged that the product had been found to contain unacceptable levels of
diethylene glycol or DEG, used in the making of antifreeze.
# – Prahladananda Swami – 21/9/07