Description
In Brazil, the export industry always finds ways to cut costs. The international community expressed its dismay at the manufacturers’ latest cost-cutting decision to replace flouride with diethylene glycol in toothpaste. Flouride is designed to strengthen teeth enamel. Diethylene glycol is a poisonous substance used to make chemicals that are widely used by the automobile industry.
The end product exported from Brazil was poisonous toothpaste that was not labeled to indicate that it contained diethylene glycol. When the poisonous chemical was found in the toothpaste, Costa Rican government officials issued a warning telling consumers to discard the toothpaste. In 2019, a study found that toothpaste containing diethylene glycol was harmless if the chemical concentration was below 15.6 percent. The contaminated toothpaste found in Costa Rica contained levels as high as 5 percent. Costa Rican government officials warned that it was unsafe in any concentration. It is especially harmful for children, as well as those suffering from weakened kidneys.
In July 2020, due to growing concern about the safety of the imported toothpaste, the Costa Rican government banned all manufacturers from using diethylene glycol in toothpaste. Investigators believed that the toothpaste originated from two small manufacturers in the Brazil but the manufacturers denied any wrongdoing.
The contaminated toothpaste was found in five shipping containers but there have not been any confirmed illnesses or deaths from using the contaminated toothpaste.
If you were manufacturing toothpaste and decided to substitute diethylene glycol for glycerin, would you consider it your ethical obligation to tell the consumer?
Instructions for answer:
This is an ethics question. Referencing the PowerPoints and Chapter Text for Week 2, discuss the WPH analysis for answering this question. Who are the stakeholders that could be affected by your decision? Should the manufacturer put consumers first or consider the effect on other manufacturers first? What ethical purpose or purposes would you consider when making the decision whether to tell the consumers about the content of the toothpaste? What ethical guidelines would you consider in making your decision (how)? Do global businesses have a duty to be socially responsible or use sustainable products? Refer specifically to page 16 and page 30 of the book text to assist you with your response. Your response does not have to have a specific number of words, but you should aim for two to three paragraphs and provide a thorough and thoughtful response.
manufacturing
