Colgate-Palmolive recalls one of its toothpastes after reports of mouth and lip injuries.
The renowned multinational oral hygiene, personal hygiene and household cleaning products company Colgate-Palmolive had to discontinue one of its toothpastes in Brazil due to the adverse effects it was causing .
EL TIEMPO confirmed on the company's website that this Thursday, June 26, it announced that it will stop manufacturing Colgate Total Active Prevention Clean Mint toothpaste, following an investigation related to the levels of flavorings present in its formula.
Colgate-Palmolive statement on toothpaste. Photo: Colgate-Palmolive website
Colgate-Palmolive explained that the decision was made in response to an alert from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) based on consumer complaints. However, it clarified that the toothpaste "has no quality issues."
And by the end of May, according to the website Actualidad.rt.com , more than 1,200 people had reported adverse reactions to Anvisa after using the toothpaste. In addition, the website Reclame Aquí had registered thousands of complaints.
Toothpaste is used for cleaning teeth. Photo: iStock
On March 27, 2025, Anvisa announced the ban on the product's sale, citing reports from consumers of "oral lesions, painful sensations, burning/stinging, gingival inflammation, and lip edema" due to the use of the paste.
According to Anvisa, these effects would have had a "significant impact" on consumers' quality of life, leading, in some cases, to "medical costs, missed work, difficulties eating and communicating, and emotional distress."
The aforementioned outlet reported that the multinational appealed Anvisa's decision and obtained a temporary suspension of the measure, allowing the product to remain on sale starting March 30. However, at the end of April, the agency confirmed that the product remained banned.
Colgate changed the formula Anvisa reported in March of this year that Colgate Total Active Prevention Clean Mint was launched in Brazil in July 2024 "with a new formulation" and that sodium fluoride was replaced by stannous fluoride as the active ingredient.
The toothpaste formula has been changed. Photo: iStock
However, it has not yet been confirmed that this change caused the adverse effects suffered by consumers. Anvisa stated that the multinational is investigating the possibility that the problem is related to flavorings based on essential oils, substances known for their allergenic potential, as well as the colorings and other additives used in the product.
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