A new kosher toothpaste was launched by American Lion Toothpaste Manufacturing. Recently certified by the OU, the toothpaste produced by a Malaysian company was on display at last month’s Kosherfest.
While kosher consumers have always taken for granted that toothpaste is inherently kosher, kashrus organizations say that there may be reason for concern, primarily because of some of the new flavors that are marketed nowadays. The most kashrus sensitive ingredient often found in toothpaste is glycerin, which is often animal based, and usually makes up one third of the product. Glycerin which is not certified kosher should be assumed non-kosher, rabbis say.
“We’re very proud to have met the strict kashrus standards of the Orthodox Union,” said A-L executive Joereen Koek, daughter of the Malaysian company’s founder. “And we’re pleased that our devotion only to toothpaste gives us the expertise to deliver popularly priced products that kosher consumers can use with confidence.”
(Source: KosherToday)
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15 Responses
just asking here, not stating
does toothpaste need/strong to be kosher?
it is not derech achilahi know that certain contact lens solutions used to have pork ingredients. solutions put in the eye will drain into the nose and throat and be swallowed. i asked a shailah and was told its not a problem because its not derech achilah
Hmmm. Kosher toothpaste.
They figured out how to ensure that what comes OUT of our mouths has a hechsher!
Whatever gets people to have good hygiene… gets my vote. This way, we don’t have to gag, when someone is yelling chaptzem in a crowded marketplace.
mazel tov!
in israel ther e have always been hechsherim on tooth paste , even before this issue of flavors.
[i hope nevealiza will not post some subtle laitsonis about this chumra in e. yisrael. thanks.]
and cooperation with Muslims (Malaysia is a Muslim country) is a good thing in the long run
In the present political climate. We don’t need to send our Mashgichim to 3rd world countries. Remember Mumbai?
“kashrus organizations say that there may be reason for concern,”
Are you people all nuts. if there was a problem with the toothpaste then the Kashrus organizations would have told us in the past not to use XYZ toothpaste. now that someone has created this product all of a sudden they say there is a need for concern. i have an idea. how about these kashrus organization put there efforts these day into more usefull things. Lets see…….stores under there supervison jacking up the price of meat.
We don’t maylasians to make kosher toothpaste
Theres been a kosher toothpaste around for 40 years Its called adwe and its produced by frum ehlicha yidden with the best hashgicha and they should be supported
Toms of Maine has long had a hechsher on many of its flavors. Adwe also has kosher toothpaste, as well as one from Israel. So why is this news.
Sorbitol is an artificial sweetener(yuk). What about during Pesach, toothpaste needs a hechtsher then.
Adwe,frum people have been making kosher toothpaste for over 60 years including for Pessach. This is no big deal that another company is going to make the same thing.What is so special about the new one that Adwe does not have? Will it be sold in supermarkets and drug stores all over? Anyway,most people do not eat toothpaste,nor do they brush their teeth in the kitchen at the kosher sink,nor do they use boiling hot water to rinse their mouths. Perhaps being more careful with the words that come out and the foods that we put in our mouths is more important than what we use to clean our teeth. I hope the dentist you go to only uses kosher cleansers.
There is no chidush here. Melalaleuca.com has been selling safe, healthy KOSHER toothpaste under Rabbi Heineman’s hashgocha (star k) for many years.
There is no unsafe ingredients unlike all other products, or anything in their products that would ever cause a side effect. Even if someone would mistakenly swallow their products tere would be no major concern. Many hemishe people buy these products because they are kosher and safe to have in the house and no worry about kids going going to the hospital .
And melaleuca products are ALL MADE IN AMERICA as far as I know. Something to think about when buying a product!
BS”D
After the Chinese toothpaste scandal, I would be very wary of using any toothpaste from the third world. The presence of an OU mashgiach will indeed prevent the addition of non-kosher substances. However, a chemical which is detrimental to health can make it into the formula due to lack of health regulations in that part of the world.
Indeed Adwe (and Zohar from the UK, or is it E”Y, that is sold for Pesach) has been around for years and is trustworthy.
Of course, super machmirim brush with scouring powder that has a haimishe hechsher, so as to remove any layers of enamel that may become treyf due to inhalation of non-kosher certified dust.
Rabbosai (and Rebbetzins): At least as far back as 30-35 years ago a p’sak was published in Madrich HaKashrus explaining very clearly why toothpaste most definitely should have a reliable hechshar unless there is some dental/medical need — on the advice of their dentist — why a particular brand must be used. I assume that flavorings, which have been in toothpaste for some time and glycerin — all which could be from non-kosher sources — all played a part in that p’sak.
It is most interesting to note that a letter from at least one of the major manufacturers of toothpaste was printed in that issue of the madrich that glycerin is used in all toothpastes, that non-kosher glycerin is most definitely used, that they do not “kasher” between runs, and that there is no way to know which runs used kosher (vegetable) glycerin and which used non-kosher (animal) glycerin.
What about toothpaste makes it not fitting for achilah? The good taste? The lack of any warning that it should not be ingested?
When there were no/few kosher brands on the market the complaint was if they would taste better we would buy the kosher brands. Now that there is American Lion, Toms of Maine among other brands, what is our excuse? If we cannot even give up our Pepsident, how can we expect to pass much greater tests in the way we relate to the gashmiyus of this world?
Well Am involved with kashrus let me point out to #15 that a tremendous ammount has changed in the last 35 years, nowadays by far the majority of glycerin on the market especially from the far east is vegetable based. companies try to avoid animal derived matereals for a whole host of health reasons. unless animal glycerin is specific to a recipe it will NOT be used as a matter of course. by the way toothpaste in itself is not a maachol and the actual material is poggum legamri, flavours are added to mask the unpleasant taste, these flavours are supervised kosher and pose a minute kosher risk, since they tend to come under the category of fragrances, and these are 99% synthetic.
These are the underlined words after an article on OU’s website; “The issues above are very serious, and consumers should not hesitate to consult their rabbonim for direction” comments are unnecessary.