What Is the Colgate Lawsuit?
The Colgate lawsuit is a group of separate legal actions against Colgate-Palmolive Company and, in two of them, its subsidiary Tom's of Maine, Inc., not one single case, covering heavy metals allegedly found in toothpaste, a gum-irritant ingredient allegedly hidden behind gingivitis-fighting marketing claims, toothpaste tubes labeled 'recyclable' that most consumers cannot actually recycle, and an earlier manufacturing-contamination matter that has already settled.
The closed matter, Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-6996 (JMW) (E.D.N.Y.), resolved allegations that a Tom's of Maine manufacturing facility in Sanford, Maine failed FDA Current Good Manufacturing Process standards during a May 2024 inspection. Separately, the active heavy-metal matter, Triesch v. Colgate-Palmolive Company and Tom's of Maine, Inc., No. 1:25-cv-04443 (S.D.N.Y.), alleges undisclosed lead, arsenic, and mercury in named toothpaste products. A third active matter, filed by plaintiff Janet Fry in California federal court, alleges Colgate Total toothpaste's gingivitis claims omit the risks of sodium lauryl sulfate. A fourth, Weingartner and Della v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, No. 3:23-cv-04086-JCS (N.D. Cal.), alleges Colgate's 'recyclable tube' labeling misleads consumers whose local programs do not accept the packaging.
Colgate-Palmolive Company is the named defendant across every matter. Tom's of Maine, Inc., the Sanford, Maine-based subsidiary Colgate acquired in 2006, is named alongside Colgate in the closed contamination settlement and the active heavy-metal case.
“Plaintiff Walter Triesch, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, bring this class action suit for damages and equitable relief against Colgate-Palmolive Company and Tom's of Maine, Inc.”
Source: Source: Class Action Complaint, Triesch v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 1:25-cv-04443 (S.D.N.Y.), Document 1 (May 28, 2025)
Why Are People Filing Colgate Lawsuits?
People are filing Colgate lawsuits because plaintiffs allege the company sold toothpaste with undisclosed heavy metals, marketed a gum irritant as gingivitis-fighting, and labeled tubes as recyclable when most consumers could not actually recycle them. Each proceeding targets a distinct piece of that broader pattern rather than one shared claim.
The heavy-metal complaint alleges that a 2025 independent lab study found elevated lead in several household toothpaste brands, including two named Colgate-Palmolive products, and that neither product's packaging disclosed the heavy-metal content to buyers. The sodium-lauryl-sulfate complaint alleges Colgate Total's gingivitis-fighting marketing claims omit that the product contains a detergent capable of irritating gum and mouth tissue at the levels used. The recyclable-tube complaint alleges Colgate's own recyclability messaging outpaced what municipal recycling programs could actually process, and a federal judge has already declined to dismiss that case.
The earlier, now-closed contamination matter alleged Tom's of Maine marketed its toothpaste as 'naturally sourced' and 'safe' while a facility producing it failed a federal manufacturing inspection, and Colgate agreed to a $2.9 million settlement to resolve it without admitting liability.
What Injuries Are Included in the Colgate Lawsuit?
The Colgate lawsuit includes three distinct categories of harm, spread across the separate active proceedings described above: undisclosed heavy-metal exposure risk, a hidden gum irritant marketed as gingivitis-fighting, and deceptive recyclability labeling. Each is defined in plain language below, followed by what plaintiffs specifically allege. Colgate has denied liability in every matter it has not settled.
Heavy Metal Exposure Risk
Heavy metal exposure risk, in this context, is the alleged presence of lead, arsenic, or mercury in a consumer product at levels the manufacturer did not disclose to buyers.
The Triesch complaint alleges Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening Toothpaste tested at 539 parts per billion of lead and 10.4 parts per billion of mercury, and that Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry Fluoride-Free Toothpaste tested at 240 parts per billion of lead and 40 parts per billion of arsenic, citing a 2025 independent consumer-goods lab study. The complaint alleges neither product's packaging disclosed this heavy-metal content, and that children are especially susceptible to lead's effects on cognitive development.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Gum Irritation
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a detergent used in some toothpastes that plaintiffs allege can irritate gum and mouth tissue at the concentrations present in certain products.
Plaintiff Janet Fry's complaint alleges Colgate Total toothpaste is marketed to fight gingivitis and reverse early gum damage while containing sodium lauryl sulfate, which the complaint describes as capable of damaging gum tissue, inhibiting wound healing, and disrupting the oral microbiome at the levels present. The complaint seeks only economic damages, alleging class members would not have purchased the product, or would have paid less, had the ingredient's risks been disclosed.
Deceptive Recyclable-Tube Labeling
Deceptive recyclability labeling is marketing packaging as recyclable when the claim does not reflect what most consumers' local recycling programs can actually process.
The Weingartner complaint alleges Colgate's 'Recyclable Tube' and 'First of Its Kind Recyclable Tube' claims, along with the universal recycling symbol printed on some Colgate and Tom's of Maine toothpaste packaging, mislead consumers under FTC Green Guide standards, which require that a 'recyclable' claim be accurate for a substantial majority (at least 60%) of the communities where the product is sold. A federal judge in the Northern District of California has already denied Colgate's motion to dismiss the case, finding a reasonable consumer could be misled by the recyclability messaging. Judge Joseph Spero certified a California purchaser class on April 1, 2026 and set an April 10, 2028 jury trial after denying Colgate's appeal of that certification.
Who Qualifies for the Colgate Lawsuit?
You may qualify if:
- You purchased Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening Toothpaste or Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry Fluoride-Free Toothpaste and want to track the active heavy-metal class action (no claim form exists yet; the case has not been certified or settled)
- You purchased Crest, Sensodyne, Parodontax, or Colgate Total toothpaste marketed to fight gingivitis and believe you were not told about its sodium lauryl sulfate content
- You purchased a Colgate or Tom's of Maine toothpaste labeled 'recyclable tube' in California between August 29, 2019 and August 11, 2023, the certified class period in Weingartner and Della v. Colgate-Palmolive Company
- You purchased a Tom's of Maine product between November 21, 2020, and March 6, 2026 (this is the now-closed settlement class, described for reference, not an open claims window)
You may not qualify if:
- You did not purchase any of the specific products named in these complaints during the relevant periods
- You already submitted a claim in the $2.9 million Tom's of Maine settlement; that claims window closed July 6, 2026, and cannot be reopened
This eligibility summary describes each matter's own claimant group as alleged in the complaints or settlement notice. None of the three active matters has reached a certified class or a claims-filing stage yet, so confirm current intake status directly with a firm evaluating the case, such as Hagens Berman for the heavy-metal matter, before assuming eligibility.
What Is the Current Status of the Colgate Lawsuit?
The current status of the Colgate lawsuit differs by proceeding: the Tom's of Maine contamination settlement is fully paid out and closed, while the heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, and recyclable-tube matters remain in active, pre-settlement litigation.
Tom's of Maine Manufacturing-Contamination Settlement
Colgate and Tom's of Maine agreed to pay $2.9 million to resolve Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-6996 (JMW) (E.D.N.Y.), without admitting liability. The claims deadline passed July 6, 2026, and the court has scheduled a Final Approval Hearing for September 10, 2026.
| Proceeding Type | Federal class action settlement |
| Court | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York |
| Presiding Judge | Hon. James M. Wicks |
| Settlement Fund | $2,900,000 |
| Class Period | November 21, 2020 to March 6, 2026 |
| Claims Deadline | Passed, July 6, 2026 |
| Final Approval Hearing | September 10, 2026 |
Triesch v. Colgate-Palmolive Company and Tom's of Maine, Inc. (Heavy Metals)
Plaintiff Walter Triesch filed a proposed class action alleging Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening Toothpaste and Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry Fluoride-Free Toothpaste contain undisclosed lead, arsenic, and mercury. The case remains in an early stage, and Colgate has not been found liable.
| Proceeding Type | Federal class action, consumer-protection claims |
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 1:25-cv-04443 |
| Filed | May 28, 2025 |
| Named Plaintiff | Walter Triesch |
| Stage | Early pretrial, no settlement reached as of this writing |
Fry v. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
Plaintiff Janet Fry and two others filed a proposed class action in California federal court alleging Colgate Total's gingivitis-fighting claims omit the risks of sodium lauryl sulfate, filed the same day as related lawsuits against Procter & Gamble (Crest) and Haleon (Sensodyne, Parodontax). The case remains in an early stage.
| Proceeding Type | Federal class action, false-advertising claims |
| Court | U.S. District Court (California) |
| Named Plaintiff | Janet Fry, plus two additional plaintiffs |
| Related Filings | Same-day suits against Procter & Gamble and Haleon over Crest, Sensodyne, and Parodontax |
| Stage | Early pretrial, no settlement reached as of this writing |
Weingartner and Della v. Colgate-Palmolive Company (Recyclable Tube)
Plaintiffs Roman Weingartner and Kristin Della filed a proposed class action alleging Colgate's 'Recyclable Tube' packaging claims are false and misleading. Judge Joseph Spero certified a California purchaser class on April 1, 2026, denied Colgate's bid to appeal that certification in July 2026, and set an April 10, 2028 jury trial expected to last about 10 days.
| Proceeding Type | Federal class action, false-advertising claims |
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California |
| Case Number | 3:23-cv-04086-JCS |
| Presiding Judge | Hon. Joseph Spero |
| Filed | August 11, 2023 |
| Named Plaintiffs | Roman Weingartner and Kristin Della |
| Class Certified | April 1, 2026, California purchasers of a Colgate or Tom's of Maine product labeled 'recyclable tube' from August 29, 2019 to August 11, 2023 |
| Trial Date | April 10, 2028 |
| Stage | Class certified, Colgate's appeal of certification denied, proceeding toward trial |
Did Colgate Settle the Lawsuit, and What Did It Pay?
Colgate has already paid $2.9 million in the Tom's of Maine contamination settlement, not one single figure covering every Colgate matter. The heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, and recyclable-tube class actions have not reached a settlement or a set payout figure.
The $2.9 million figure reflects an actual, already-approved Tom's of Maine settlement fund, not a speculative estimate. Any eventual value of the heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, or recyclable-tube matters is not yet known and should not be assumed from the Tom's of Maine figure.
Under the Tom's of Maine settlement, a Class Member without proof of purchase could claim the average retail price of one Class Product, while a Class Member with proof of purchase could be reimbursed for up to three Class Products.
Colgate Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the Colgate lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and settlement developments as they're confirmed. Unlike a single mass-tort MDL, this page tracks four separate proceedings on one interleaved timeline.
Colgate Lawsuit Timeline
Colgate Recyclable-Tube Trial Set for April 10, 2028
Judge Joseph Spero set an April 10, 2028 jury trial date in Weingartner and Della v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, expected to last about 10 days, after denying Colgate's bid to appeal class certification in July 2026. The certified class covers California buyers of a Colgate or Tom's of Maine product labeled 'recyclable tube' from August 29, 2019 to August 11, 2023.
California Class Certified in Colgate Recyclable-Tube Case
Judge Joseph Spero certified a class of California purchasers in Weingartner and Della v. Colgate-Palmolive Company on April 1, 2026, covering Colgate and Tom's of Maine products labeled 'recyclable tube' between August 29, 2019 and the case's August 11, 2023 filing date. Colgate-Palmolive appealed the certification shortly afterward.
Tom's of Maine Settlement Final Approval Hearing Scheduled
The Eastern District of New York scheduled a Final Approval Hearing for September 10, 2026, to consider whether to grant final approval of the $2.9 million Tom's of Maine contamination settlement, along with any objections and the requested attorneys' fee award.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Class Actions Filed Against Colgate, P&G, and Haleon
Plaintiff Janet Fry filed a proposed class action against Colgate-Palmolive over Colgate Total's gingivitis claims, filed the same day as related sodium-lauryl-sulfate suits against Procter & Gamble's Crest and Haleon's Sensodyne and Parodontax brands in California federal court.
Tom's of Maine Settlement Claims Deadline Passes
The deadline to submit a claim in the $2.9 million Tom's of Maine manufacturing-contamination settlement passed on July 6, 2026, closing that claims window to new filers ahead of the September final approval hearing.
Heavy-Metal Class Action Filed Against Colgate and Tom's of Maine
Plaintiff Walter Triesch filed a proposed class action in the Southern District of New York alleging Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening Toothpaste and Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry contain undisclosed lead, arsenic, and mercury, citing a 2025 independent lab study.
FDA Inspection Finds Manufacturing Concerns at Tom's of Maine Facility
An FDA inspection of Tom's of Maine's Sanford, Maine manufacturing facility in May 2024 raised concerns about compliance with the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Processes, a finding the later Rabinowitz complaint cites as the basis for its contamination allegations.
Recyclable-Tube Class Action Filed Against Colgate
Plaintiffs Roman Weingartner and Kristin Della filed a proposed class action in the Northern District of California alleging Colgate's 'Recyclable Tube' and 'First of Its Kind Recyclable Tube' packaging claims are false, deceptive, and misleading.
How to File a Colgate Lawsuit
These 4 steps outline how to file a Colgate lawsuit.
- Confirm which Colgate matter applies to you: The closed Tom's of Maine settlement, the active heavy-metal case, the active sodium-lauryl-sulfate case, and the active recyclable-tube case each cover a different group of Colgate or Tom's of Maine customers, so start by identifying which one actually fits your situation.
- Gather records showing your purchase of the named products: Save receipts, packaging photos, or loyalty-program purchase history for Colgate Total, Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening, or Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry, since these are the documents a firm evaluating a claim will ask for first.
- Contact a firm currently evaluating the matter that applies to you: Hagens Berman has publicly described investigating the heavy-metal matter; a case reviewer there, or at a firm handling the sodium-lauryl-sulfate or recyclable-tube cases, can confirm current status and any deadlines.
- Do not attempt to file a new claim in the closed Tom's of Maine settlement: That settlement's claims window closed July 6, 2026, ahead of the September 10, 2026 final approval hearing, and a new claim there cannot be filed.
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What Did Colgate Allegedly Know About Heavy Metals and Recyclability?
Across these proceedings, the allegations describe two separate patterns: that Colgate and Tom's of Maine did not disclose heavy-metal content or a known gum irritant in their toothpaste, and that Colgate's own recyclability messaging outpaced what its packaging could actually achieve. Colgate has not been found liable in the pending matters and has denied wrongdoing where it has not settled.
The Triesch complaint alleges Colgate and Tom's of Maine never disclosed heavy-metal content to consumers despite marketing the products, including those made for children, as safe for daily use. Separately, in the recyclable-tube case, Colgate's own public materials acknowledged that during the packaging's rollout, 'acceptance of tubes at certain recycling facilities may be limited,' a limitation the complaint alleges was not adequately disclosed on the product itself.
How Does the Colgate Lawsuit Compare to the Colgate Pension Settlement?
The Colgate Pension Settlement is a separate, legally distinct matter from every proceeding described above, a dispute over how Colgate calculated retirement benefits for its own employees, not a consumer product claim. It shares a defendant with the consumer matters on this page but involves an entirely different plaintiff group (current and former Colgate employees) and an entirely different body of law (employee retirement benefits, not consumer protection or product safety).
Consumers who purchased Colgate or Tom's of Maine toothpaste have no claim in the pension matter, and former Colgate employees with a pension dispute have no claim in the heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, recyclable-tube, or Tom's of Maine contamination matters. The two case types are tracked separately because the underlying conduct, the plaintiff class, and the legal claims do not overlap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Colgate lawsuit about?
The Colgate lawsuit is actually several separate proceedings against Colgate-Palmolive Company and, in some of them, its Tom's of Maine subsidiary: a closed $2.9 million manufacturing-contamination settlement, an active heavy-metal-content class action, an active sodium-lauryl-sulfate gingivitis-claims class action, and an active recyclable-tube-labeling class action.
Is the Colgate lawsuit a class action?
Yes, every active or settled matter described on this page was filed as a proposed or certified class action, meaning named plaintiffs sue on behalf of a broader group of similarly situated consumers rather than pursuing individual claims.
Who is the defendant in the Colgate lawsuit?
Colgate-Palmolive Company is the named defendant in every matter described on this page. Its subsidiary Tom's of Maine, Inc. is named alongside Colgate in the closed contamination settlement and the active heavy-metal case, and Colgate has denied wrongdoing in the matters it has not settled.
Did Colgate settle the lawsuit?
Colgate already settled the Tom's of Maine manufacturing-contamination matter for $2.9 million, with a claims deadline that passed July 6, 2026 and a final approval hearing set for September 10, 2026. The heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, and recyclable-tube class actions have not settled.
Can I still file a claim in the Colgate lawsuit?
Not in the closed $2.9 million Tom's of Maine settlement; that claims window passed July 6, 2026. The heavy-metal, sodium-lauryl-sulfate, and recyclable-tube matters have not reached a certified class or a claims-filing stage yet, so there is no claim form to submit for those cases at this time.
Is the Colgate lawsuit the same as the Colgate Pension Settlement?
No. The Colgate Pension Settlement is a separate matter over how Colgate calculated employee retirement benefits, involving current and former Colgate employees, not consumers who purchased Colgate or Tom's of Maine products.