Colgate Faces Lawsuits Over Safety of Mouth Rinse for Kids

A federal judge ruled that Colgate-Palmolive must face two lawsuits alleging that its mouth rinse packaging misleads parents into believing the products are safe for children under six.

Consumers argue Colgate’s brightly colored packaging and flavors—such as Bubble Fruit and Silly Strawberry—create the impression that the products are safe for young children to use freely. (Photo: Kiwla) 

A similar lawsuit involving toothpaste was dismissed, Jonathan Stempel reported for Reuters.

Consumers in the proposed class actions cited warnings from US health authorities that children under six should not use fluoride rinses and that children aged two to six should use only pea-sized amounts of fluoride toothpaste.

They argued that Colgate’s brightly colored packaging and flavors—such as Bubble Fruit and Silly Strawberry—create the impression that the products are safe for young children to use freely.

US District Judge Andrea Wood said reasonable consumers might not know where to draw the line for rinses, especially since many labels prominently feature the words “kids” or “children’s.”

She rejected Colgate’s argument that consumers would rely on back-label warnings required by the US Food and Drug Administration, noting that such assumptions may not reflect typical consumer behavior.