Toothpaste Recall: Check Your Brush Buddies, evo and ARU Tubes

On October 19, the FDA classified a recall of more than 4.3 million tubes of toothpaste as Class II. Also, many of the products are the kids’ kind, and they feature Barbie, Hot Wheels and Crayola characters. Because the story spread fast this week, I read through the details myself.

Here’s the short version: the FDA calls the risk of serious harm remote, and nobody has reported an illness. Still, only certain lots count, so it’s worth two minutes to check the tubes in your bathroom.

What is the toothpaste recall?

Pritam International, a manufacturer in India, started a voluntary recall on September 10. Ashtel Studios in California, meanwhile, distributes the products under the Brush Buddies, evo and ARU brands. In total, the recall covers 17 varieties and 4,301,700 tubes across the U.S.

The basics at a glance

Detail	What the FDA report says
Products	17 toothpaste varieties from Brush Buddies, evo and ARU
Total volume	4,301,700 tubes
Recalling firm	Pritam International Private Limited (India)
Distributor	Ashtel Studios Inc., Ontario, California
Recall start	September 10, 2026 (voluntary, firm-initiated)
FDA classification	Class II, in the enforcement report dated October 19
Reason listed	CGMP deviations (current good manufacturing practice)
Distribution	Nationwide in the U.S.

What “CGMP deviations” means

The FDA lists just one reason, which is CGMP deviations. In other words, CGMP is the rulebook for how a company makes and tests a drug. Also, fluoride toothpaste counts as an over-the-counter drug, so it follows those rules too.

Here’s the part that confused me at first. Importantly, the FDA doesn’t say it found contamination or a defect. Instead, it says the factory process didn’t fully follow the rules. The agency calls products made that way “adulterated,” but that label describes the process, not necessarily what sits inside the tube.

Still, the report doesn’t explain what went wrong. Because the recall touches children’s products, that one-line reason leaves parents guessing.

What Class II means in plain terms

The FDA uses three recall classes. Class II covers products that may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” where serious harm is remote. Class I, however, covers products that could cause serious harm or death. So this recall sits in the middle, and it calls for checking and replacing, not for panic.

Which toothpastes does the recall cover?

Not every tube with these names counts, because only specific lots do. Next, here are the 17 products, grouped by type, with the UPC and the number of tubes in each.

Kids’ character flavors (Brush Buddies)

Product	Size	UPC	Tubes
Barbie, Bubble Gum	4 oz	8 10147 88022 5	409,800
Hot Wheels, Strawberry	4 oz	8 10147 88047 8	411,600
Crayola Silly Scents, Bubble Gum	4 oz	8 50048 32731 3	320,232
Crayola Silly Scents, Watermelon	4 oz	8 50048 32730 6	320,232
Crayola Silly Scents, Strawberry	4 oz	8 50048 32732 0	320,232
My Little Pony Scents, Bubble Gum	4 oz	8 10147 88270 0	17,400

Ice cream flavors (Brush Buddies)

Product	Size	UPC	Tubes
Vanilla Ice Cream	3.5 oz	8 10147 88517 6	112,092
Chocolate Ice Cream	3.5 oz	8 10147 88518 3	112,092
Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream	3.5 oz	8 10147 88519 0	112,092
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream	3.5 oz	8 10147 88520 6	112,092

Whitening, cavity protection and adult lines

Brand and product	Size	UPC	Tubes
Brush Buddies Whitening with Baking Soda, Cool Mint	3.5 oz	8 50010 84249 3	797,868
Brush Buddies Cavity Protection, Cool Mint (2-pack)	2 x 3.5 oz	8 10147 88543 5	231,936
Brush Buddies Advanced Whitening, Peppermint	3.5 oz	8 10147 88542 8	198,288
evo Advanced Whitening, Peppermint	3.5 oz	8 10147 88619 7	405,336
evo Sensitive, Sweet Mint	3.5 oz	8 10147 88620 3	389,880
ARU Gum Health, Soothing Mint	3.5 oz	8 10147 88786 6	15,264
ARU Cavity Protection, Cool Mint	3.5 oz	8 10147 88785 9	15,264

What the numbers show

I added up the tube counts by group, and they match the 4,301,700 total in the report. Overall, a few things stood out.

• First, Brush Buddies accounts for about 81% of the tubes (roughly 3.48 million). evo adds about 18.5%, while ARU adds under 1%.
• Second, the six character flavors alone come to about 1.8 million tubes, or around 42% of the total.
• Third, the biggest single line is the Brush Buddies baking soda whitening paste, at 797,868 tubes. Yet it’s a regular mint paste, not a character flavor. So the recall reaches beyond children’s toothpaste, although the headlines focus on it.

Why this recall deserves a closer look

Overall, I’d call this a “check it tonight” recall, not an emergency. After all, the Class II rating and the lack of reported illnesses point the same way.

Still, two things bother me. First, the company started the recall on September 10, yet most news coverage only appeared after the FDA’s October report. Second, the listed reason says nothing about the actual problem. As a result, you can’t judge the risk yourself. Instead, you can only check your lot code.

If you don’t own any of these brands, you can skip the rest of this post. However, if your kids brush with the bubble gum or ice cream flavors, the check takes about a minute.

How to check your tube

Match the UPC first, then the lot

1. First, find your product in the tables above and compare the UPC on the box or tube.
2. Next, if the UPC matches, read the lot number and expiration date printed on the tube or carton.
3. Then compare the full lot code with the FDA enforcement report entry (Event 99849). Once they match, your tube is part of the recall.

Instead, I’m deliberately not pasting the full lot list here. Because the FDA page opens as a search form, the only complete lot list I could read was a copy on a news site. Since one mistyped character would defeat the purpose, treat the FDA entry as the final word.

Two traps in the lot codes

While reading the lot list, I noticed that lot codes don’t always belong to one product. For example, the four ice cream flavors share the same four lot numbers, and the three Crayola flavors share the same ten. So a lot code alone can’t tell you which flavor the recall covers. Therefore, always check it together with the UPC.

The last letter of a code matters too. For instance, in the list I read, the Barbie, Hot Wheels and My Little Pony tubes carry the same base number with a different final letter (A, B or C). That’s my reading of the pattern, but the FDA doesn’t explain it. Either way, compare the entire code instead of just the first few digits.

Also, expiration dates on the affected lots run from late 2026 into 2028, so the date alone won’t tell you whether your tube counts.

What to do right now

If your tube matches

• First, stop using it, and keep the packaging.
• Then contact the store or the manufacturer about a refund or return. The report doesn’t name retailers. Some of these brands show up at stores like Walmart and Dollar Tree, but that doesn’t prove those stores carried the affected lots.
• Finally, report any reaction to the FDA through MedWatch.

If your child already used it

Don’t panic. After all, the FDA describes the risk of serious harm as remote, and nobody has reported an illness yet. Still, call your pediatrician or dentist if your child develops mouth irritation, an upset stomach or other new symptoms. Also, if your child swallows more than a normal brushing amount, the Brush Buddies label says to contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

If you’re not sure

You don’t need to throw out every toothpaste in the house, though. Instead, switch to a tube from another brand until you’ve checked your lots.

Quick answers

Is the recalled toothpaste dangerous?

The FDA classified the recall as Class II, so it considers serious harm unlikely. Also, nobody has reported an illness. However, the agency hasn’t said what the manufacturing problem was, or whether testing found a defect.

Does the recall cover all Brush Buddies, evo and ARU toothpaste?

No, because it covers only the listed lots of the 17 products above. Meanwhile, other flavors and other lots from the same brands stay outside it.

When did the recall start?

First, the company began the voluntary recall on September 10, 2026. Then the enforcement report with the Class II rating followed on October 19. Meanwhile, news coverage only picked up this week.