Tests show 12 out of 13 children’s toothpastes analysed in Hong Kong contain lead and 3 are too acidic

All but one of 13 children’s toothpastes tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog contained traces of lead and three were found to be too acidic, a report has revealed.

The samples also showed that three of the children’s toothpastes in the survey had traces of arsenic, but it was found the levels of both heavy metals were inside accepted safety levels.

The Consumer Council said the findings, released on Monday, underlined that parents should check the ingredients in toothpaste designed for children.

“Parents must read the labels on packages and try not to buy any products that contain lead or arsenic,” Nora Tam Fung-yee, the chairwoman of the council’s research and testing committee, said.

“For children below three or infants, parents should be around when they brush their teeth to make sure or teach the child to spit out the toothpaste and the foam produced during tooth brushing to avoid swallowing and taking in more arsenic or lead from toothpaste.”

Tam was speaking after the council released its findings on 13 children’s toothpaste samples and 17 regular toothpaste samples.