From: “Colgate-Palmolive Consumer Affairs”

Dear Ms Shah

Thank you for contacting us with your question. We appreciate the opportunity to provide information regarding animal fats used in Colgate-Palmolive products sold in the United States.

All of Colgate-Palmolive Company’s soaps contain tallow. The tallowates used in these soaps are obtained only from beef tallow. In addition, the glycerin in these soaps is certified as pork free. The following soaps contain no pork or lard and, therefore, are pork-free:

Some of our toothpaste products contain glycerin. The glycerin we use is obtained from both internal and external sources. All the glycerin we use meets or exceeds the United States Pharmacopedia (USP) quality standards. When made internally, the glycerin is made through procedures involving evaporation, distillation and bleaching of a crude glycerin derived from beef tallow, coconut or palm kernel oils.

Much of our glycerin is produced internally; however, it sometimes is necessary to supplement the supply of glycerin by purchasing it from external suppliers. When it is necessary to add to the supply by buying glycerin, external suppliers are carefully selected. The glycerin is only accepted if it meets or exceeds the United States Pharmacopedia (USP) quality standards. Our regular quality control procedures are used to monitor the quality of the glycerin. However, we cannot certify that the original source of the glycerin will always be 100% beef tallow.

Regarding Colgate toothpastes, the information below may be helpful to you. The following toothpastes do not contain glycerin or contain only synthetic glycerin:

The following products are not only free of pork products but are also free of all animal-derived ingredients:

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. We hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

Consumer Affairs Representative
Consumer Affairs