DUBAI, UAE: The Dubai Municipality (DM) has clarified that no chemical substances are present among the toothpaste brands currently in its market, dismissing rumors on social media.
The said rumors said that the edge of toothpaste tubes have four different color codes indicating the presence of either chemical, natural or medicinal components.
However, the civic body has clarified that these marks are part of the standard manufacturing process to help machines identify where to cut the tubes.
Marwan Al Mohammad, director of the Public Health and Safety Department that ensures the safety of consumer products in Dubai, called this a baseless rumor and asked the public to refrain from spreading such false and misleading information.
An expert with the department told Gulf News these color codes are known as “eye marks” in the manufacturing process and simply give an indication to the machines on where to cut the tubes.
“The colors do not have any relation with the products’ components,” said Dr. Mariam Mahmoud Bin Eisa.
“We can see similar marks in other products like milk packets, cream sachets and others as well. The selection of the color is a company’s choice and that is read by the machine that packs the tubes. It just signals the machine that the tube is full with the required quantity and can be cut at that point,” said Dr. Bin Eisa, who heads the Field Inspection and Consumer Product Safety Section at the Department.
