Case study:
In Brazil, the export industry always finds ways to cut costs. The international
community expressed its dismay at the manufacturers,atest costcutting 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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