LAW 101
Case Study
Action Items
In Brazil, the export industry always finds ways to cut costs. The international community
expressed its dismay at the manufacturers,atest cost-cutting decision to replace flouride with
diethylene glycol in toothpaste. Flouride is designed to strengthen teeth enamel. Diethylene glycol
is a poisonous substance used to make chemicals that are widely used by the automobile
industry.
The end product exported from Brazil was poisonous toothpaste that was not labeled to indicate
that it contained diethylene glycol. When the poisonous chemical was found in the toothpaste,
Costa Rican government officials issued a warning telling consumers to discard the toothpaste. In
2019, a study found that toothpaste containing diethylene glycol was harmless if the chemical
concentration was below 15.6 percent. The contaminated toothpaste found in Costa Rica
contained levels as high as 5 percent. Costa Rican government officials warned that it was
unsafe in any concentration. It is especially harmful for children, as well as those suffering from
weakened kidneys.
In July 2020, due to growing concern about the safety of the imported toothpaste, the Costa
Rican government banned all manufacturers from using diethylene glycol in toothpaste.
Investigators believed that the toothpaste originated from two small manufacturers in the Brazil
but the manufacturers denied any wrongdoing.
The contaminated toothpaste was found in five shipping containers but there have not been any
confirmed illnesses or deaths from using the contaminated toothpaste.
If you were manufacturing toothpaste and decided to substitute diethylene glycol for
glycerin, would you consider it your ethical obligation to tell the consumer?

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