Colgate drops therapy citation on Aroma range

Hygiene and oral care major Colgate-Palmolive has relaunched its Aroma range of products, marketed under the Palmolive brand, following objection by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) on the usage of the word "therapy" on its packaging.

According to the FDA commissioner A Ramkrishnan, "We had asked the company to make the necessary modifications in its packaging and communications which were misleading consumers as stipulated by the labelling and branding requirements of Drugs and Cosmetics Act under Section 17 read with Rules 146 and 148."

Colgate Palmolive spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. Distributors and retailers in Mumbai, however, said the company had discontinued supply of the products recently in line with the FDA diktat. Last month, it launched fresh stocks in the market that do not carry the controversial word, they added.

Colgate Palmolive had launched its international range of Aroma therapy products last year to capture the growing demand for naturopathy-based products among Indians.

The company had not taken necessary approvals from the Maharashtra FDA before marketing the product range as one with therapeutic properties.

The revamp is not accompanied by any change in price. The products retail between Rs 31 and Rs 90.

Under the Palmolive brand name, the company had launched variants of shower gel, hand wash and toilet soap.

Colgate-Palmolive India, the Indian arm of the US-based Colgate-Palmolive Inc, clocked a 23 per cent growth in its net profit, at Rs 25.4 crore, for the first quarter ended June 30, 2004.

Net sales increased 7 per cent over the previous quarter to Rs 242.7 crore. The price war in the oral care segment had boosted volumes for its flagship brand Colgate dental cream as well as for Colgate-Cibaca.