NEW YORK (Kashmir English): Colgate-Palmolive will change packaging and marketing for its toothpaste products, after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton expressed concern that its marketing of fluoride could harm both children and parents.
Paxton, a Republican, said that beginning on Nov. 1, Colgate will depict “safe, age-appropriate amounts of toothpaste” for children under six for its Colgate, Tom’s of Maine and hello brands of toothpaste, consistent with the labels’ instructions.
Colgate depictions
Colgate depictions will feature “pea-sized” amounts of toothpaste, rather than larger amounts or swirls, when the company uses an image of toothpaste atop a toothbrush, Paxton said.
According to Paxton, the changes will appear online first, and on store shelves later.
In May, Paxton issued civil investigative demands to Colgate and Procter & Gamble, which makes Crest, claiming that their marketing causes parents to give children unhealthy doses of fluoride. The Procter & Gamble case remains open.
Paxton said Colgate’s agreement advances his work to Make America Healthy Again, a movement associated with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
While the movement draws support from opponents of too much regulation as well as people concerned about disease and other threats, critics say some elements could roll back healthcare advances built over decades.
Colgate did not immediately respond to media requests for comment. Procter & Gamble also did not immediately respond to similar requests.
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent cavities, and the American Dental Association supports fluoridation of toothpaste and drinking water.
But a study published at the start of 2025 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics linked higher fluoride exposures in children to lower IQ scores.
Paxton is running for the 2026 US Senate election, and trying to unseat Republican incumbent John Cornyn.
