Colgate Total, one of Australia's most popular toothpastes, has come under international scrutiny over health concerns connected with one of its active ingredients, triclosan.



The toothpaste contains 0.3 per cent of the ingredient, the maximum level before it must be declared a poison by the Australian department of health's national industrial chemicals notification and assessment scheme.

Health concerns: Colgate Total contains triclosan.

The threshold for poison warnings was raised from 0.2 per cent after submissions claimed that it would have widespread commercial implications for a variety of industries.

Studies have shown links between triclosan and disrupted hormonal development, a reduction in bacterial resistance and an increase in allergies.