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By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - U.S. consumers should avoid any toothpaste made in China after the discovery of products containing a poisonous chemical, federal health officials said on Friday, sparking more concern about Chinese consumer goods.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the warning after toothpaste containing diethylene glycol, or DEG, was detected in a shipment seized at the border and in products sold at two stores. DEG, also known as diglycol or diglycol stearate, is used in solvents and antifreeze.

Toothpaste is the latest product from China to have triggered safety concerns. Similarly contaminated toothpaste has been seized across Latin America and follows a major pet food and livestock feed scare.

FDA officials said affected brands include Cooldent, Clean Rite and Oralmax, among others, and are usually found at discount retailers. No major brands are affected, the FDA said.

"Although FDA is not aware of any U.S. reports of poisonings from toothpaste containing DEG, the agency is concerned about chronic exposure to DEG," said Deborah Autor, director of the FDA's Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Officials were especially concerned about use among children and those with kidney or liver disease. DEG is inappropriately used as a inexpensive sweetener and thickening agent, and does not belong in toothpaste, they said.

"If a young child were to ingest by accident several ounces of a tube of toothpaste that contained 3 percent (DEG), that could be a potential problem," said Charles Ganley, director of the FDA's nonprescription drug products office.

Agency officials advised consumers to check toothpaste labels to see if the product was made in China or lists DEG. It also urged other manufacturers, including drugmakers, to ensure that glycerin -- a sweetener meant for consumer products -- was not contaminated.

They added the problem is not expected to be widespread, with Chinese toothpaste accounting for about $3.3 million out of the $2 billion in annual U.S. toothpaste sales. Officials said they did not know how much DEG-tainted toothpaste consumers may have bought.

The brands involved are made by Goldcredit International Enterprises Ltd., Goldcredit International Trading Co. Ltd., and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Co. Ltd.

FDA officials began scrutinizing toothpaste from China last week after similarly tainted products were seized in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama and Nicaragua. DEG was also found in cough syrup in Panama that led to the deaths of at least 100 people last year.

Chinese officials have said the Panama incident was due to mislabeled products, and have cited the media for stoking concern. But Chinese authorities said they have increased checks on exports.

The FDA issued its alert after seizing a batch of Cooldent toothpaste found to contain 3 percent DEG. Inspectors also found DEG-containing toothpaste at a Dollar Plus store in Miami and at a store called Todo a Peso in Puerto Rico, Autor said.

Agency officials said they will continue to screen toothpaste from China at the border, and companies will have to prove that their products do not contain the chemical.

Goldcredit International Enterprises is a unit of Jiangsu Xingda Stationery Group, a manufacturer of glue and office supplies. Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals also makes soap and pet products.

Other brands affected include DentaPro and DentaKleen. Everfresh, Superdent, Oral Bright, Bright Max and ShiR Fresh were also identified.

(Additional reporting by Julie Vorman)

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