Colgate released a statement earlier today warning that fake, potentially toxic "Colgate" toothpaste has been discovered in discount stores in four US states.

The toxic ingredient is diethylene glycol, also known as DEG. It's believed that whoever manufactured the fraudulent toothpaste used this chemical instead of fluoride. DEG is the same drug the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers about 2 weeks ago, when they found it in tubes of Cooldent toothpaste, manufactured in China.

Consumers can differentiate real Colgate from the fake, discount brand by checking to see where the product originated. The fake toothpaste is labeled as being manufactured in South Africa, a country from which Colgate does not important any products to the US. Also, the packaging of the false product contains a number of misspellings.