Colgate-Palmolive to alter kids’ toothpaste packaging following fluoride claims
Excess fluoride ingestion can pose developmental risks to children’s brains, making truthful advertising and proper dosage guidelines critical for health safety.
USA – Colgate-Palmolive has agreed to change the packaging and marketing of its children’s toothpaste products after the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, criticized the company’s fluoride advertising as “misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.”
The specific misleading claim was that the toothpaste packaging displayed a fluoride content exceeding the recommended amount for children, which could lead to excessive fluoride exposure.
The company will now depict “pea-sized” amounts of toothpaste on packaging and advertisements for children under six, reflecting safe, age-appropriate usage amounts.
This adjustment applies to the Colgate, Tom’s of Maine, and Hello brands and will first be seen in online marketing before physical packaging changes take effect in November 2025.
The recommended guidelines referenced in this context come from authoritative health bodies: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises parents to put only a rice-sized “smear” of toothpaste for children until they turn three years old, and the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends no more than a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste for children aged three to six to minimize risk.
Attorney General Paxton praised Colgate for its cooperation, stating, “Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure that they aren’t putting Texas families in peril through their false, misleading, and deceptive marketing, and these CIDs will help my office discover any potential wrongdoing.”
“As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children’s health at risk.”
The potential dangers of misleading fluoride advertising primarily revolve around the health risks associated with excessive fluoride exposure in young children.
A 2024 meta-analysis by the National Toxicology Program found a statistically significant correlation between early-life fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children.
This has raised heightened concerns nationwide, with some states enacting bans on fluoride in drinking water and the FDA restricting fluoride prescription drugs for children.
Misleading advertising that encourages excess fluoride use directly increases children’s risk of these adverse health effects, justifying Attorney General Paxton’s firm stance and civil investigative demands issued to toothpaste manufacturers, including Colgate and Procter & Gamble.
Colgate’s voluntary compliance signals a significant move within the oral care industry to prioritize children’s health by clarifying fluoride toothpaste use, with Texas AG Paxton urging other manufacturers, including Procter & Gamble’s Crest brand, to reassess their marketing to avoid misleading parents and potentially harmful exposure for children.
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