The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is advising consumers to be on the lookout for falsely branded 'Colgate' toothpaste that may be on the market.

The toothpaste, which was first identified in four states in the United States of America, has been recalled in several countries for more than two weeks now, but consumers are still being asked to be on the lookout for the product which contains diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.

The chemical was identified in tubes of toothpaste which were imported form China, and later tests by the Colgate importer in the U.S., discovered that the chemical was also present in tubes of fake Colgate toothpaste. The products, including the regular, gel, triple and herbal varieties, are labeled 'Made in South Africa', but Colgate does not import toothpaste from South Africa and neither does their distributor in Jamaica.

The contaminated products from China are sold under the names Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint, Cooldent ICE, Dr. Cool, Superdent, Clean Rite, Oralmax Extreme, Oral Bright, Bright Max, and ShiRE Fresh Mint.

Dorothy Campbell, communication specialist at the CAC, said the organisation is awaiting word from the Bureau of Standards as to whether the product has found its way into our market. A representative from the Bureau of Standards told THE STAR that they are currently "monitoring the market and conducting tests", but that nothing concrete has been determined.