Caution urged over toothpaste

Enthusiastic tooth brushers are being warned to stay away from Colgate Total toothpaste, or at least to use it sparingly.

The toothpaste is one of the few toiletries in New Zealand that still uses triclosan, an antibacterial that was once commonly found in soaps, toothpastes and body washes.

That was until September last year, when the US Food and Drug Administration banned it from soap because of possible health risks.

Triclosan has been linked to changes in hormone function, liver and kidney damage, and is a suspected carcinogen.

Consumer NZ researcher Jessia Wilson said the FDA ruling had seen it quickly disappear from many toiletry products, but not all. “However, it’s still used in everything from hand soaps to toothpaste, and it’s permitted to be used in our cosmetics at a concentration of 0.3 per cent.”

One of the most commonly available products containing it is Colgate Total toothpaste.

The antibacterial agent can be useful for fighting diseases such as gingivitis, but Wilson said it wasn’t needed for everyday use.

The Foodstuffs supermarket chain runs brands including Pak’nSave and New World. The company said after the FDA ruling it contacted suppliers.

“We received two types of response. Suppliers either advised that their products did not contain triclosan or any of the other ingredients listed by the FDA.

“Or, if it was present, products were being reformulated by October 2017.

“The only exception is Colgate Total which has recognised benefits around the treatment of gingivitis.

“Our private label products including Pams and Value do not contain any of the ingredients listed by the FDA.”

Countdown spokeswoman Kate Porter said they made the decision to remove triclosan from Countdown’s own brand products some time ago, with only a few products still being reformulated.

Colgate-Palmolive has been contacted for comment, and has not yet responded.