Your Tube Of Colgate Total Toothpaste May Contain A Cancer-Causing Chemical

New research found that a cancer-causing chemical is used in one of the top-selling toothpastes.

chron.com

Colgate Total that hit the international markets in 1992 is now sold in 173 countries around the world and is the only triclosan containing toothpaste sold in the US.

ibtimes.co.in

The chemical triclosan has been linked to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals. Regulators are reviewing whether it’s safe to put in soap, cutting boards and toys.

Scientists who re-analysed the approval report and safety of the chemical for Bloomberg pointed out animal studies that linked triclosan to poor birth outcomes, including fetal malformations, low birth weight and premature birth.

More independently conducted science has shown that concerns about the chemical and cancer were widespread and even valid — raising questions about whether due diligence of the chemical’s dangers had been conducted at the time of its approval for toothpaste use.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent, meaning that it helps to “slow or stop the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It first started to appear in antibacterial hand soap products in the 1970s.

businessinsider.my

Since then, triclosan has been added to a ton of things — “it has been used in consumer products such as detergents, soaps, skin cleansers, deodorants, lotions, creams, toothpastes, and dishwashing liquids,” according to a CDC factsheet. Many of those products labeled with “antibacterial” potentially contain triclosan or a related compound.

businessinsider.my

The Food and Drug Administration approved the chemical in 1997 — but it was just revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request that the toxicology reports used to justify the chemical’s use had been compiled by scientists affiliated with the company, Bloomberg News reported.

Colgate assured the FDA, the only risk when applying the chemical was when it was eaten or absorbed in substantial doses.

dailynewsen.com

Scientific studies that have raised health concerns include one 2012 study linking triclosan to reduced fertility in mice, and another that year suggesting it could impair muscle function. A study last year linked it to lowered sperm production and changed sperm shape in rats. Triclosan’s core credentials have also come under scrutiny: While some studies have supported its benefit in killing bacteria, others have found it no more effective than soap and water -- and in some cases suggested it could support growth of bacteria including the type that causes staph infections.

Some questions about triclosan’s potential impact on people are, by nature, unanswerable. Humans are exposed to dozens of chemicals that may interact in the body, making it almost impossible to link one substance to one disease, said Thomas Zoeller, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who specializes in how chemicals affect the endocrine system.

The truth is, we don’t fully know what the risks of triclosan use are. “The human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of triclosan are unknown … More research is needed to assess the human health effects of exposure to triclosan,” according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention factsheet.

businessinsider.my

But it is important to recognize that chemicals can affect animals differently than humans, and also animal testing can involve sky-high doses of the chemical in question. However, these kinds of findings in animals mean further testing is warranted before the product is approved for humans.

businessinsider.my

Reviews by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Dental Association, government agencies, and other independent sources around the world confirm triclosan’s safe use in toothpaste and recognize that Colgate Total® toothpaste provides an important oral health benefit.

colgatetotal.com

Colgate Total® is the only toothpaste on the market that has undergone the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rigorous New Drug Application (NDA) review process for efficacy and safety, including periodic reviews of scientific literature and safety information. As recently as November 25, 2013, the FDA continues to affirm its support for the use of Colgate Total® toothpaste to fight gum disease. Colgate Total® is the only toothpaste that is both approved by the FDA and accepted by the American Dental Association as safe and effective in helping to prevent gingivitis.

colgatetotal.com

There are more published, peer-reviewed clinical studies of Colgate Total® than of any other toothpaste in the world. The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total® toothpaste is supported by more than 90 scientific studies, involving 20,000 people, as well as by a broad set of safety evaluations. A recent five-year clinical study, published in 2012, also affirms the safety of Colgate Total® toothpaste. Our research is shared with regulatory agencies in the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe. All have conducted their own reviews of triclosan, and in every case, they have affirmed triclosan’s continued safe use in toothpaste.

colgatetotal.com

Hong Kong’s Customs Department is “looking into” the safety of Colgate-Palmolive Co’s Total toothpaste, which contains the chemical triclosan. The inquiry follows an Aug 11 report by Bloomberg News highlighting studies linking the chemical to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals.

therakyatpost.com

Hong Kong Customs plans to investigate the report and “seek professional advice from the Department of Health,” the agency said in a separate e-mailed statement. “Under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, it is an offense to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements.”

therakyatpost.com

The South China Morning Post previously reported on the inquiry by Hong Kong Customs. the Department of Health said that it hadn’t received “any adverse reaction reports related to the use of triclosan-containing products,” and it would continue monitoring the latest research on the chemical.

therakyatpost.com

If the results of these animal trials scare you or you are worried about triclosan seeping into the environment, and you don’t have gingivitis, you might want to switch toothpastes. But, the current FDA stance is that “triclosan is not known to be hazardous to humans” and that there is not “sufficient safety evidence” to recommend that consumers stop using products containing triclosan.

businessinsider.my

Once again it’s important to reiterate that oftentimes in studies, animals are given very high doses of a chemical relative to the actual levels that humans would consume. So unless you plan on eating a whole tube of Colgate Total (not recommended for other reasons), you probably will be fine.

businessinsider.my