Tom’s of Maine toothpaste tainted with bacteria, says U.S. Food and Drug Administration – CBC

Agency also found mould near a water-storage tank at company facility

Nov 20, 2024

A recent inspection of a Tom’s of Maine facility found that the company’s toothpaste was made using bacteria-tainted water, among other serious health violations, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a warning letter to CEO Noel Wallace, the FDA said the inspection uncovered disease-causing bacteria in water used to make Tom’s Simply White Clean Mint Paste. The water was sampled between June 2021 to Oct. 2022.

The company uncovered a different bacteria in its Wicked Cool! Anticavity Toothpaste, and justified the bacteria as “sample contamination” without sufficient evidence, the FDA said.

An agency investigator also found a mould-like substance near a water storage tank at the company’s facility in Sanford, Maine, and a powdery residue on a surface near a station where Tom’s Silly Strawberry Anticavity was being made.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/toms-of-maine-toothpaste-bacteria-fda-1.7388689