Recently, there has been a hot discussion in Japan about a cockroach being squeezed out of a children’s toothpaste produced by LION. According to reports, a consumer from Jiangsu, China, posted a short video on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), claiming that when they were almost finished using a children’s anticavity toothpaste from LION, a very large cockroach was squeezed out.
Some netizens expressed their concerns, saying, “Beware! I will never use LION toothpaste again.” Others believed that “toothpaste filling is done by fully enclosed automated assembly line machines, so it’s impossible for such a large insect to be perfectly intact and filled into the tube.”
So, what is the truth behind this incident?
Caused by non-production reasons
Looking back at the incident, on November 9th of last year, a consumer from Jiangsu, China, posted a short video on Douyin, claiming that a cockroach was squeezed out while using LION’s Minions Strawberry Milk Flavored Children’s Anticavity Toothpaste. The residual toothpaste also contained cockroach legs and other foreign objects.
Recently, CHAILEEDO noticed that the user further explained the aftermath of the incident in the comments section of the aforementioned video. They mentioned that after complaining, LION asked them to send back the cockroach and the toothpaste for a detailed inspection. Additionally, LION stated that the opening of their factory machines is not large enough for such a big cockroach to enter. Eventually, LION compensated them with two toothbrushes.
Today, CHAILEEDO attempted to contact the Douyin user and LION Household Chemical (Qingdao) Co., Ltd. (referred to as “LION Qingdao Company”) as soon as possible. The former stated that they didn’t want to say anything more about the incident, while the latter couldn’t reach the relevant person in charge.
However, according to the user’s previous media interview, they stated, “I only occasionally use the toothpaste in question, and when I was about to finish it, I squeezed it again. After squeezing for a while, I noticed the antennae of an insect, and then I squeezed a few more times, and a large cockroach came out.”
The user also told the media that LION claimed the appearance of insects in the toothpaste was not a production issue and suggested that the cockroach might have crawled in after the toothpaste was used.
The user countered by saying, “I have never seen cockroaches in my home, and I rarely use the toothpaste in question. Moreover, I always close it after each use, so there is no possibility for cockroaches to crawl in.”
Regarding this matter, a representative from LION Qingdao Company responded publicly to the media, saying, “Although this incident was not caused by production reasons, considering the consumer’s dissatisfaction, we proposed giving two toothpaste tubes as a solution, which the consumer refused. Afterward, the consumer called back and asked if the solution could only be toothpaste as compensation. Therefore, we changed the compensation to toothbrushes, and the consumer agreed.”
CHAILEEDO noted that the video posted by the user has received 28,000 likes and has been shared 20,000 times. Many netizens commented below the video, saying, “I will never buy LION toothpaste again” and “Continue to fight for rights,” among others. However, many netizens also mentioned, “The user knows how the cockroach appeared; it’s impossible for such a situation to occur in the chemical industry” and “They are going to extremes for publicity and traffic.”
It is understood that LION Qingdao Company currently operates four Tmall flagship stores, including the Little LION flagship store. In the Little LION flagship store, the Minions Children’s Toothpaste (Strawberry Milk) is priced at 19 yuan for 50g. Additionally, the store has over 70,000 followers, with the best-selling product being the Little LION Age-specific Toothpaste, which has sold over 3,000 units.
Almost negligible possibility
Public information shows that LION Qingdao Company was established in 1988 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan’s LION Corporation in China. LION Corporation, founded in 1891, is a manufacturer of toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps, and other products sold in Japan and other Asian countries and regions. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and has factories and subsidiaries in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and other locations.
“Using common sense, it is undoubtedly the responsibility of the customer” and “In a sterile sealed environment with squeezing and mixing processes everywhere, it is impossible for a complete cockroach to enter” and “If there are no issues with the consumer, then there is only one possibility: the packaging materials were not properly sealed in the warehouse” were among the comments left by many users at the bottom of media reports on the incident.
Several senior professionals in the cosmetics industry also told CHAILEEDO, “The possibility of a large cockroach being squeezed out when the toothpaste is almost used up is almost negligible.”
Li Jincong, the founder of the cosmetics prohibited word website, said, “If insects like cockroaches are brought in with the raw materials, they would be homogeneously mixed and crushed during the preparation process, and there would not be intact insects. Furthermore, there is a filtering process before the final product is prepared, which would filter out any insects, so it is impossible for insects to appear at this stage.”
“In addition, if there are insects in the packaging materials themselves, from the filling process, it needs to be determined whether the toothpaste is filled from the nozzle of the tube or from the bottom. Generally, in batch production, large-scale cosmetics factories use bottom filling and sealing. If there are foreign substances in the toothpaste tube packaging material, they would appear at the nozzle position, not at the bottom of the toothpaste. In the incident mentioned, the cockroach was discovered only when the toothpaste was almost used up, which does not follow the aforementioned logic. Furthermore, before filling, large-scale cosmetics factories clean the packaging materials, and these types of tubes are usually cleaned with gas to remove dust and other impurities,” he further informed CHAILEEDO.
“From a management perspective, the toothpaste filling process is a closed GMP production, and the possibility of having cockroaches inside the toothpaste is extremely small.” Xu Chunsheng, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Working Committee of the China Oral Clean Care Products Industry Association and Chief Engineer of Guangzhou Qiancai Cosmetics Co., Ltd., also pointed out, “From the toothpaste filling procedure, toothpaste is generally filled from the bottom, so if there were insects, they should appear in the toothpaste nozzle, not when the product is almost used up.”
“It is difficult to evaluate this kind of dispute. Setting aside this particular case, we have encountered some consumers who deliberately find fault. The truth of the matter can only be determined through a professional investigation. Based on the handling of most brand owners at present, they tend to settle the matter and appease the consumers first,” said Wang Li, a representative from a domestic toothpaste brand.
Not uncommon
It is worth mentioning that the phenomenon of insects being complained about in cosmetics is not uncommon.
For example, on November 4, 2022, a netizen from Shenzhen, Guangdong, filmed a video claiming to have found a black insect in an unopened bottle of Fu Lei Shi brand moisturizing water. This incident became a hot topic on Weibo. Shortly after this event, another netizen posted on Xiaohongshu, stating that they accidentally found an insect in their half-used bottle of Zhu Ben body oil. Even earlier, brands such as Lancôme and Kiehl’s were exposed by the media for having “insect problems” with their products.
Regarding the frequent occurrence of insects in cosmetics, Pan Guangle, a senior engineer in the cosmetics industry, said, “If the production plant area does not take effective measures to prevent pests and maintain hygiene, it is possible for insects to enter the toothpaste.” Xiang Wei, the technical manager of Wuhan Zhongke Guanggu Green Biological Technology Co., Ltd., stated that generally, it is mainly due to the inability of the production environment to effectively block mosquitoes and flies. Even though formal factories have specific pest control measures, there will still be oversights. It can only be said that risks are reduced, and no one can guarantee complete eradication.
Li Jincong pointed out, “This mainly depends on the quality management, operational standards, and process flow of the production factory. Generally speaking, the likelihood of insects appearing in products produced by large factories is very small. Some incidents cannot be ruled out as deliberate actions by consumers.”
It is worth mentioning that regulations at the regulatory level have long stipulated that companies should take preventive measures against pests in the production plant area. Item 34 of the “Key Points for Inspection of Cosmetic Production Quality Management Standards” stipulates that production workshops should be equipped with facilities to prevent mosquitoes, flies, insects, rodents, and other animals from entering or breeding, and effective monitoring should be conducted. Storage areas for materials, products, etc., should be equipped with suitable lighting, ventilation, rodent and insect prevention, dust prevention, moisture prevention, and other facilities, as well as temperature, humidity regulation, and monitoring facilities in accordance with the characteristics of materials and products.
“Production companies still need to strengthen quality management to reduce risks and ensure production safety.” Xiang Wei told CHAILEEDO, “This is something that regular companies have always been doing, and we need to remain vigilant and continuously improve.”
Pan Guangle also suggested that first, packaging materials in cosmetics factories should be strictly cleaned and disinfected to ensure there are no impurities or foreign objects. Secondly, strengthen pest control and prevention measures in the factory area to prevent cockroach infestation. In addition, enhance the promotion of the correct usage concept of products, seal the cap tightly after use to prevent contamination during the process.
“After consumers raise doubts about the product, if it is not due to production-related reasons, the company needs to respond positively and provide strong evidence to explain the relevant matters of product production quality management standards. If there are loopholes in production quality management, they should be promptly improved to avoid recurrence,” said a senior professional in the cosmetics industry.
