See what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
Federal officials found “major violations” at a Tom’s of Maine manufacturing facility, including using contaminated water to produce some of its toothpaste.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed such violations in a letter sent to Tom of Maine’s parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, earlier this month. The letter was released publicly on Tuesday.
FOX Business has reached out to Colgate-Palmolive for comment.
According to federal health officials, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa virus was found “in multiple water samples between June 2021 and October 2022.”
CALIFORNIA FARM RECALLS LARGE CARROT AFTER 1 DEATH, MANY INFECTED WITH E. COLI
The investigators found that the contaminated water was used to make Tom’s Simply White Clean Mint Paste and “the final rinse of many machine cleaning processes.”
A Tom’s of Maine sign is seen on the production floor March 28, 2006, in Sanford, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Pseudomonas is a group of bacteria commonly found in soil and water. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is “the most common cause of infections in humans,” such as blood and lung infections.
MCDONALD E. COLI OUTBREAK SPREADS TO 104 CASES
Another bacterium, known as Paracoccus yeei, was also found in the company’s finished product, Wicked Cool! Anticavity Toothpaste.
A natural bacterium, Ralstonia insidiosa, has been found in the water supply, health officials said.
“You have failed to adequately qualify your water system that produces the water used to clean your equipment and manufacture your product,” the letter said.
Workers on an assembly line for Tom’s of Maine toothpaste at a manufacturing facility March 28, 2006, in Sanford, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Overall, the company “failed to maintain facilities used in the manufacture, processing, packaging or storage of drug products in good repair,” state officials said.
The FDA wants the company to take several steps to correct these problems, including implementing an on-site performance improvement program and ensuring that equipment and supplies are regularly monitored and maintained.
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | This company COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO. | 93.96 | +0.35 |
+0.37% |
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The FDA is also calling for a “comprehensive review of the design and management” of its manufacturing operations, with “a detailed and comprehensive review of all microbiological hazards.”
The FDA said the violations outlined in the letter are not “an all-inclusive list of existing violations” at the facility.
“You have the responsibility to investigate and find the causes of any violation of the law and to prevent the recurrence or occurrence of another violation of the law,” the letter said.
Source link
