toxic toothpaste hits Somerville, whee

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

So we're watching a late-night news report and my husband suddenly notices that he recognizes the mini-mart featured in a story about toxic toothpaste. Guess what? It's the QF Mart on Highland Ave. A local guy says he bought the toothpaste there last week and got sick from using it. It was counterfeit Colgate, recognizable by the following:

• Box says "Germ Defence" on front label and misspells "adult" as "adolt" when describing correct usage on the back


• Box says it's manufactured in South Africa -- Colgate/Palmolive says they don't make toothpaste there


• Tube says the volume is 100ml, a size apparently not sold in the US


• Contents said to smell bad

QF Mart claims they don't sell toothpaste. Regardless of whether that's true, the tainted product appears to have been distributed in this area, so be careful when you buy toothpaste. Read the labels. If you see anything amiss, you might want to bring it to the attention of the store and/or authorities.

ETA: The story was reported today in the Boston Herald and carried in the Somerville Journal.

Comments

[greenbeats.livejournal.com]

i saw this headline on the middlesex bank ticker and couldn't help but laugh.

[ron_newman]

QF - that's the one at Highland Ave. and Central St?

[glen-highland.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the one. I'm surprised, they don't seem to have sketchy products in my experience. Pretty normal convenience store stuff.

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd consider just about anything besides soda, chips, or candy that I bought from a convenience store "sketchy." (Of course, that's not to say that I don't still buy other things!)

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

The sketchy toothpaste isn't the fault of QF Mart, but of those who manufactured it and distributed it. I'd hate for anyone to blame the store owner.

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

don't go in there if you have any scent allergies- it's like a toxic sent dump - worse than dryer stink!

[ron_newman]

The Somerville News website now has an article about this. The owner of the QF Mart is concerned about his own health after having used the tainted toothpaste for a week.

[ron_newman]

Your sentence "QF mart claims they don't sell toothpaste" seems inaccurate if the News article is correct.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

That's what was reported on the news segment last night. I suspect they talked at the time to an employee who just didn't want to get into it, or something like that.