Check Your Labels
On May 24, BBC reported on fake toothpastes found in Panama and the Dominican Republic. Today’s news has them found in four states in the United States. The boxes LOOK like Colgate, but have spelling mistakes that give them away. They claim to be made in South Africa, but they include diethylene glycol, the same compound found in the fakes earlier, and it is believed to be coming out of China. This is one time you REALLY REALLY want to be sure you are not buying a knock-off.
Colgate finds fake toothpaste in 4 states
Company says counterfeit products may contain poisonous chemical; fake products can be identified by misspellings on label.
June 14 2007: 6:19 AM EDT
LONDON (CNNMoney.com) — Fake “Colgate” toothpaste that may contain a poisonous chemical has been found in four states, Colgate-Palmolive said Thursday.
Colgate said the fake toothpaste may contain diethylene glycol, which the company never uses in its toothpaste. The company said it is working with the FDA to locate the source of the counterfeiting.
The fake toothpaste has been found in discount stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the company said.
The fake products aren’t manufactured or distributed by Colgate-Palmolive (Charts, Fortune 500) and can be identified because they say they are manufactured in South Africa or have misspellings on the label.
Comment: If this is happening in the US, where the Food and Drug Administration is careful about what is allowed to be sold, then we had better be doubly careful in Kuwait, where so much is imported from China. China appears to be cutting corners on quality across the board, and their short cuts could kill us.
7 Comments »
Leave a comment
Recent Comments
Catherine on Donna Leon Crossing Cultu… intlxpatr on Ignoring the Law thani on Ignoring the Law Anon. on British Soldier Kidnapped, Esc… Reeva Mills on Cahors to Bordeaux, Preparing… Wikipedia Donate Button
Amazina
Early Voting in Florida
Here There and Everywhere 
😀 my Colgate tube is British (no mis-spellings, only funny spellings like colour and licence) and poison-free
what a horrible thing to worry about, though!
This is why I stick with Crest! But even so, all tubes are now suspect, as far as I’m concerned. Perhaps I’ll just stop brushing my teeth. LOL!
lol! oh dont get me started on “color” or “license” !
😛
mines from saudi 😀
Interestingly, I just read an article in a local financial paper about how food safety issue in China have caused middle- and upper class Chinese to purchase (State of) Washington grown apples rather than those grown in their own country. Which is leading to the Washington Apple Commission to start a promotional campaign “…to capitalize on food fears by emphasizing the purity and wholemenss of US-produced proudcts.” Largely focused on China, but other Asian countries, as well. I have mixed feelings about this tactic.
diamond:
“Color”, “favor”, “flavor”…etc. are just wrong you have no idea how many times I fight with my spell checker every time I am typing something up.
sknkwrkz:
They just don’t look right, do they?! 😉
intlxpatr:
Just today a co-worker brought this issue up. Our lives have become so complicated now that we even have to worry about toothpaste!!!
It’s a sad world.
Colgate in kuwait is all made in saudi … i thnk it should be fine ..
Our Crest is made in Germany – or so it says. The ersatz Colgate SAYS it is made in “South Afrixa” or something like that – there is an obvious mis-spelling. And guess what – it is NOT. Made in South Africa