Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Colgate-Palmolive are facing legal action in the U.S. over the sale of toothpastes and mouth rinses marketed for young children. These lawsuits accuse the companies of deceptively promoting products containing fluoride and misleading parents into believing the items are safe for toddlers.
The class-action complaints were filed on January 13 in federal courts in California and Illinois. Among the products named in the lawsuits are P&G’s Kids Crest Fluoride Anticavity Toothpaste, as well as various toothpastes sold under Colgate-Palmolive’s Colgate and Tom’s of Maine brands. The lawsuits also target certain mouth rinse products, including those from Colgate’s brands, as well as Perigo’s Firefly, Chattem’s ACT Rinse, and Hello oral care products.
Fluoride, known for its ability to prevent cavities when applied to teeth, is the core ingredient in many of these products. However, the lawsuits highlight the potential health risks of children ingesting excess fluoride. The plaintiffs claim that this excessive exposure can lead to symptoms such as flu-like illness, dental fluorosis, neurotoxicity, and even endocrine disruption, with some cases potentially leading to death.
P&G and Colgate-Palmolive Hit with US Lawsuits Over Fluoride in Kids’ Toothpastes and Mouth Rinses. The complaints suggest that parents, misled by marketing tactics, were not adequately informed about proper usage and did not follow public health guidelines when using these products.
The lawsuits also argue that the companies fail to provide adequate instructions for safe use, as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The plaintiffs assert that the product labels, which often feature candy, fruit juice flavors, and cartoon characters, are specifically designed to appeal to children. This, they argue, could lead children to mistakenly believe that these products are safe to consume, rather than just to use topically on their teeth.
For example, ACT Rinse children’s products come in fun flavors like Groovy Grape and Wild Watermelon, while Firefly products feature toy-like packaging. The lawsuits seek restitution, compensatory damages, and potentially punitive damages for alleged violations of various consumer protection laws.
