Consumers should be on the look-out for illegally manufactured counterfeit toothpaste falsely labeled as “Colgate” and imported from South Africa. Updated information shows this product contains harmful bacteria, but authorities did not elaborate as to what the bacteria are. This update comes from additional developments included in a report by Canadian health authorities as well as Colgate’s own investigation.
In the initial recall announcement, the importer, MS USA Trading, Inc. of North Bergen, N.J., said the toothpaste may contain diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze. The trading company said the problem was discovered in routine testing by the Food and Drug Administration.
Colgate-Palmolive assures customers that “counterfeit toothpaste is not manufactured or distributed by Colgate and has no connection with the company whatsoever”. They also add that diethylene glycol is not now and has never been an ingredient in Colgate toothpaste anywhere in the world.
According to a Colgate-Palmolive news release, the counterfeit products were found in several ‘dollar-type discount stores’ in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Updated information also includes small discount retailers in Canada.
Colgate-Palmolive, in cooperation with government health and law enforcement authorities, continues to remove counterfeit toothpaste from the shelves of retail stores. Here are some indicators to look for to identify the counterfeit product:
No comments:
Post a Comment