AmorePacific chairman sued for toxic toothpastes

[THE INVESTOR] A group of 14 consumers on Sept. 28 filed a lawsuit against AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae following the recent revelation that the beauty giant’s 11 toothpaste products contained toxic chemicals.

The chemicals -- methylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone -- were used in a preservative, called sodium lauryl sulfate, for the company’s popular Median and Songyeom toothpastes. Now all the products have been recalled from the market. 

Even though Korean drug safety regulators say the tiny amount of containment doesn’t need to cause health concerns, public anger is growing against the government and the No. 1 beauty company for mishandling the toxic chemicals that have been blamed for more than 100 deaths here after being used in Oxy’s humidifier sterilizers.

“AmorePacific has sold the toothpastes even though they knew the chemicals were used,” said Nam Bong-geun, a lawyer representing the consumers. “Considering their combined market share, including 20 percent of Median and 5 percent of Songyeom, almost one-fourth of the population is in danger of becoming potential victims.”

In addition to AmorePacific’s top executives, the group also filed suits against the chief of the KFDA and government officials for violation of the pharmaceutical law and neglect of duty.

Sodium lawryl sulfate is a prohibited preservative in Korea, while the US and Europe allow preservatives containing CMIT and MIT in toothpastes. Only three preservatives -- sodium benzoate, paraoxivengosanmetil and paraoxybenzopropyl -- are allowed to be used here.

The agency said the AmorePacific toothpastes contained about 0.0022 to 0.0044 parts per million of the material, which compares to the allowable level of containment at 15 parts per million abroad.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)