David Walls doesn’t think much of Dial Corporation’s claims about the disinfecting powers of its soap. He’s suing the manufacturer to stop it from claiming Dial Complete 1) “'kills 99.99% of germs,” 2) is the most recommended product of its kind by doctors and 3) “kills more germs than any other liquid hand soap.” Walls insists no reliable studies exist that can back up Dial’s assertions.

 

In fact, according to the lawsuit, Dial Complete’s main active ingredient, triclosan, may be dangerous. In 2009, the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products suggested that ”the continued use of triclosan as a preservative at the current concentration limit of maximum 0.3% in all cosmetic products is not safe for the consumer,” but that its use in soap, toothpaste, deodorants and similar subcategories is safe. In the United States triclosan was first registered as a pesticide in 1969.

 

The Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the safety of triclosan and will publish its results in spring 2011.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Class Claims Dial Soap Ads Are Deceptive (by Joe Harris, Courthouse News Service)

David Walls v. Dial Corporation (U.S. District Court, Southern Illinois) (pdf)