Panama authorities warn that toothpastes were sold with substance that caused massive poisoning in 2006

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(CNN Spanish) - The Ministry of Health of Panama (MINSA) confirmed Monday that several toothpastes that were sold in the country fraudulently, contained the toxic diethylene glycol, a substance that caused mass poisoning in Panamanian territory in 2006.

Confirmation comes after a few days ago the ministry warned of the discovery of toothpastes of doubtful origin, which could contain the poison.

According to the MINSA, it was the Colgate company, through its lawyers, that informed Panama's health authorities about counterfeit toothpastes under the name “75 ml Triple Action Colgate”, which expires in April 2022, and whose lot is L9099CT1034, and L9099GT1034 its manufacturing code, shown in the outer box.

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"The lawyers explained that they have that batch number of the paste, but for another product: a 100 ml toothpaste," explained Elvia Lau, national director of Pharmacies and Drugs of the Ministry of Health, at a press conference.

Two weeks ago, several agents of the National Customs Authority retained the cargo at a checkpoint located in the interior of the country. There were 96 boxes with an unspecified amount of dentifrices.

The official said that the boxes indicated that toothpastes were made in Guatemala. However, MINSA says it has no way to confirm it.

"We do not know where they came from, and what their destination was," he said, detailing that despite the confiscation, some of the pasta was found for sale in a warehouse in the province of Chiriquí, bordering with Costa Rica. The establishment was fined US $ 25,000 when considering the product of "doubtful origin" for not having the purchase invoice, according to Lau.

Two weeks ago, Colgate in Panama reported the confiscation of counterfeit pasta and the possibility of diethylene glycol among its ingredients. In a statement sent to CNN, Colgate-Palmolive said they continue to assist the authorities in their investigation while stressing that they do not use diethylene glycol in any toothpaste "in the world." "No other type of Colgate toothpaste was identified as fraudulent," the brief closed.

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The health authorities' warning is due to a tragic episode in Panamanian medicine.

In 2006, diethylene glycol caused a massive poisoning that left about 236 dead, according to official figures, and about 1000 people who receive government pensions, having health consequences for consuming the toxic in medicines distributed by the Social Security Fund, which is The main public health institution in the country.

The director of Pharmacies and Drugs of the Ministry of Health said that the effects of the ingestion of diethylene glycol in medicines is greater than the consumption through the pa