In Brief: Bulk glycerin import alert
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Bulk glycerin import alert: FDA import alert on bulk glycerin from China issued Aug. 1. The agency announced the importance of increased surveillance of the substance following June reports of several instances where acetaminophen elixir products containing glycerin from China were contaminated with diethylene glycol, an anti-freeze ingredient. The contaminated product killed 30 children and poisoned 40 in Haiti. Bulk glycerin from other sources where there may be a potential for transshipment from China also may be checked for the contaminant, the alert says. Glycerin is used in a number of products including glycerin lozenges and suppositories, soaps and moisturizer in cosmetics, the alert notes. No shipments of glycerin from China have been made to the U.S. in 1996, according to U.S. Customs Service data. The alert also says that the USP identification test for glycerin will not verify the presence of diethylene glycol, recommending another method available through FDA's Division of Field Science...