The "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Toothpaste" (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures") issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the "Regulations on the Administration of Toothpaste Filing Materials" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") issued by the State Food and Drug Administration will be officially implemented from December 1, 2023. As an oral care product for the daily use of the masses, toothpaste has entered a new stage of supervision. On January 9, the reporter visited and noticed that most of the adult and children's toothpastes meet the requirements of the new regulations for labeling efficacy, but there is an adult toothpaste whose outer packaging is not only marked with the word "care", but also shows the words "health care" to help promote the improvement of microcirculation of the gums and oral mucosa.
Background: The "eighteen martial arts" of toothpaste have rules to follow, and the new rules have been implemented for more than a month
Previously, some people pointed out that relatively speaking, the efficacy claims in the mainland toothpaste market are relatively confusing, and the arbitrary claims of "anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hemostasis", "promoting children's teething", "repairing tooth holes", "closing the gap between teeth", "stabilizing loose teeth", "regenerating teeth" and "treating Helicobacter pylori" are endless, and some claims are blurred with drugs and medical devices, which seriously misleads consumers and brings great safety hazards to consumers' health.
The "Measures" make it clear that the efficacy claim of toothpaste should have a sufficient scientific basis, and the following contents are prohibited from being marked on the toothpaste label: "content that explicitly or implicitly has a medical effect", "false or misleading content", "content that violates social order and good customs", "other content prohibited by laws, administrative regulations, mandatory national standards, and technical specifications".
According to the "Regulations", children's toothpaste refers to toothpaste that is claimed to be suitable for children under the age of 12 (including 12 years old). The claimed categories of children's toothpaste are limited to cleaning and anti-caries. Toothpaste suitable for special groups such as children is required to be marked with relevant precautions. For example, non-children's toothpaste with fluoride should be marked "This product is not suitable for children".
The "Provisions" require that relevant warning words such as "should be used under adult supervision", "inedible" and "beware of swallowing" should be marked on the visual surface of the sales package, and that children's toothpaste with fluoride should be marked with a single use limit.
Visit: There are adult toothpastes labeled "health care", and children's toothpastes are divided into age groups
More than a month after the new regulations were implemented, on January 9, the reporter also visited supermarkets and small stores in Hefei. In a supermarket chain in Baohe District, the reporter saw that the price of adult toothpaste ranged from more than ten yuan to more than 40 yuan, and most of them were labeled as "gum protection".
The reporter noticed that one of the brands of toothpaste in the supermarket was labeled with "clear fire and protect gums, improve gum health", "effectively inhibit plaque", "reduce bacterial growth, freshen breath", and claimed that "the efficacy of the product has been verified by a third-party organization, and the effect varies from person to person." ”
Another brand of toothpaste is called Zhuyan Quanyou 7 Effects, which is marked in small print with clear fire and gum protection, and shows fluoride, reminding that "this product is suitable for adults and children over 6 years old. ”
The highest-priced adult toothpaste, priced at 43.6 yuan, claims to contain an active ingredient that, in addition to being labeled as a care product, also displays the words "health care" to help improve microcirculation in the gums and oral mucosa.
The children's toothpaste on sale is subdivided into three age groups: 2 to 6 years old, 6 to 12 years old, and 7 to 13 years old, all of which are labeled "mothproof".
Among them, the toothpaste of 2 to 6 years old showed that "97% of the ingredients are of natural origin and prevent tooth decay", and the toothpaste of 6 to 12 years old was labeled as containing sodium monofluorophosphate, and it was labeled that "children 6 years and under are recommended to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste every time and brush their teeth under adult guidance to reduce swallowing." ”
In another small store, the reporter noticed that a fluoride toothpaste was not indicated for adults only, but the method and dosage of children. "Children under 6 years of age brush their teeth under adult guidance, using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste at a time".
Viewpoint: Don't overdo the pursuit of the taste and appearance of toothpaste
"There are all kinds of functions marked on the toothpaste, and the price ranges from a few yuan to dozens of yuan, and I don't know how to choose. Mr. Sun, a citizen of Hefei, complained to reporters that he chose toothpaste before, and he chose more familiar brands. Unlike Mr. Sun, Ms. Zhang, a citizen, said frankly that she paid more attention to the fragrance when she gave her children toothpaste, "Floral and fruity, and I prefer to buy new flavors." "The effect of publicity, the two have the same opinion, and they can't see the effect in the short term, and they look forward to a more effective constraint on manufacturers after the new regulations are implemented.
The "Oral Health Guide for Chinese Residents" points out that the general population can choose toothpaste according to their oral health needs, and advocates the use of fluoride toothpaste to prevent caries. However, it should be noted that toothpaste is not a medicine, it can only prevent oral diseases, not treat oral diseases, and oral diseases should still be treated in time.
Suihua Stomatological Hospital of Jinan University mentioned on its WeChat public account that it should be noted that the nominal "edible" toothpaste sold on the market actually has many hidden "traps", and when choosing toothpaste, you should avoid toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and at the same time do not overpursue the taste and appearance of toothpaste, in addition to fluoride content, friction agent, foaming agent, irritation to mucous membranes, etc., adult and children's toothpaste are very different.
For preschool children, the "Oral Health Guidelines for Chinese Residents" also points out that children can use fluoride toothpaste to brush their teeth, but the dosage is the size of a pea grain each time, and it should be applied under the supervision and guidance of parents or teachers to prevent accidental swallowing. Do not give adult toothpaste to your child. In addition, dental fluoride can be applied by professionals at hospitals and kindergartens to prevent caries.
Dawan News reporter Zhao Lin photo report
Edited by Xu Dapeng