I have case study ,
In Brazil, the export industry always
finds ways to cut costs. The international community expressed its
dismay at the manufacturers’ latest 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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