Authorities warn of toxic toothpaste on the market.

It looks like Colgate, but it is counterfeit and contains a dangerous ingredient called Diethelen Glycol.

Diethelen Glycol can cause paralysis of your facial muscles and cause brain swelling and can make your kidneys fail.

Colgate does not import toothpaste made in South Africa into the United States for sale.

Consumers should be on the alert for illegally manufactured counterfeit products and should be aware that counterfeit products may present a health risk.

Here are some indicators to look for to identify the counterfeit product:

The counterfeit toothpaste comes labeled as a 5 ounce (or 100 ml tube), a size not made or sold by Colgate in the United States

There are words on the package, “Manufactured by: COLGATE-PALMOLIVE (PTV) LTD., SOUTH AFRICA – 52 Commissioner Street, Boksburg, 1460”

There may be several misspelled words on the product carton including: “isclinically”, “SOUTH AFRLCA” and “South African Dental Assoxiation”

If you notice anything unusual, decrease in urination, unusual color to the urine.

Those are going to be early signs of kidney problems or any unusual neurological signs. See your pediatrician.

To help you identify genuine Colgate toothpaste made for sale in the United States, look for the following:

The words “Distr. by Colgate-Palmolive, New York, NY 10022” appear in the lower right-hand corner of a panel on the box

In the white box that contains the UPC bar code, genuine Colgate products for sale in the U.S. begin with the code number 35000

Colgate said their products are made with the highest quality and safety standards. Colgate encourages interested consumers and retailers to visit our website at www.colgate.com or call 1-800-468-6502 to get more information.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please call Colgate’s consumer information line 1-800-468-6502.

If you suspect you have a counterfeit product, do not use it.

Please call Colgate’s consumer information line 1-800 468-6502 for more information and further instructions on how we can help identify the product and ensure you only use genuine Colgate toothpaste.

For more information about counterfeit products you can also visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s web site www.fda.gov

You can see the examples of the boxes.

Colgate released this statement.

Colgate is committed to protecting consumers and ensuring that they can rely on Colgate products for superior performance and quality. Colgate recognizes the seriousness of illegal counterfeit products and works with law enforcement authorities to prevent such products from reaching the consumer marketplace.

Our practice is to examine any suspect product. If our evaluation confirms that a product is counterfeit, we immediately report it to the appropriate authorities and contact the store where it was found to alert them that they should cease sales immediately.

Therefore, we would like to arrange with you to pick up the product for our evaluation and to learn from you where the suspect product was purchased.