IN recent years consumers are increasingly interested in what they buy. They study the composition on the packaging and try to choose the safest product. People's attention was also attracted by the mysterious stripes on the seams of the tubes. Information has appeared on the Internet that allegedly green stripe indicates the full composition of the product, while black indicates the presence of chemical and harmful components. There are also assumptions that the red stripe indicates that the composition of the paste or cream is hazardous to health, or that it contains equal parts of natural and chemical components. But this information has nothing to do with reality.

What are tags for?

In fact, strips of any color are just markers needed in the production of tubes. The tape (material for tubes) on the conveyor enters a machine that cuts off part of the tape, folds this piece, fuses or glues the edges, etc. Next, cream is poured into this preparation, after which the top seam is sealed, where the expiration date is usually set. The color is needed to accurately indicate the place where the machine should make the cut.

The documentation for packaging machines requires that the light mark be contrasting with the main background of the package - then the photo sensor will be able to recognize it. Ideally, a black mark is made on white. If, for example, there is no black paint in the design, then the color that is most contrasting with the background will be used. Thus, for a light mark, a color is usually chosen, one of those available for printing, which is in maximum harmony with the coloring and design and at the same time has the maximum contrast with the background of the tube.

Typically, barcodes and light stripes are printed with the same ink.

Horizontal photo marks are used when printing on laminate rolls to accurately cut them in height. And vertical stripes are needed when soldering the tip of the tube for precise positioning so that the soldering is parallel to the text and image.

Don't look for some hidden meaning in the color of the stripes on the tubes.

Thus, markers are just a technological feature of making tubes from a conveyor belt. It is no coincidence that the characteristic stripes are on the tubes, but they are absent on bottles or jars.

Previously, wood ash was used to clean teeth, it was replaced by pastes made from white clay and plant extracts, and then tooth powder appeared. The choice was not that great, and most people did not ask themselves which toothpaste was better to choose and what was the difference between them.

Today, the assortment is so wide that the consumer falls into a stupor and often buys what comes to hand, without delving into the labeling on the tubes and relying on his intuition.

While manufacturers place all the necessary information on the tubes, being able to decipher it, it will not be difficult to determine whether the product in front of us is the one we need. IN lately observant shoppers discovered mysterious stripes of different colors on tubes of toothpaste and immediately wondered what they mean?

And if nothing, then why is the stripe black on some, and red or green on others? Which paste can you buy with a strip, and which one should you avoid?

Manufacturers are in no hurry to clearly answer this question, which is immediately alarming. But we need to brush our teeth, and I would really like to know what exactly we use to do this, what is actually included in this or that product and how safe it is. So, what do the stripes on toothpaste tubes mean and why are such markings needed?

Do stripes on a tube of toothpaste matter?

It’s worth paying attention right away: this refers to the colored stripes not on the paste itself (for example, “Aquafresh”), and not on the picture depicting it. And the stripes are on the bottom edge of the tube, where the release date and shelf life are usually stamped.

If you examine the packaging of several toothpastes from different manufacturers, then you can find that they come in the following colors:

• black;
• red;
• blue;
• green.

And also of different widths, and also located to the left, right or strictly in the center. What does this marking mean and why was it applied? Currently, the following interpretation of mysterious marks on toothpaste is very common on the Internet:

The color indicates the level of toxicity of the paste, its safety and abrasive content.

Black is a paste that is one hundred percent composed of synthetic substances that can cause poisoning and allergies, with high content abrasives, which can worsen the condition of a patient suffering from caries, periodontal disease or periodontitis.

Blue – less toxic paste, abrasives, traumatic tooth enamel there is less in it. Some sources even provide the ratio of synthetic, harmful substances and natural, healthy - approximately 80% to 20%;

Red - the paste is not the best, but you can use it without much damage to the health of your teeth and the body as a whole. Harmful and useful substances it is approximately equally divided;

Green – absolutely natural paste, containing only phytocomponents and no abrasive particles. This is the product that is recommended for caring for teeth and gums at home.

This classification of toothpaste according to the color markings on the packaging is, in general, quite logical. Until it comes to mind to look at other means household chemicals and not only - similar marks are on face and body creams, hair styling products, shoe wax, cleaning powders, liquid gels for treating plumbing, and even on food products.

It becomes obvious that the green stripe on a tube of wax cannot in any way indicate absolute non-toxicity and only herbal components in the composition. Just like the black one on a ketchup packet - just chemical ingredients.

What do the colored stripes on toothpaste tubes really mean?

In fact, these stripes don't mean anything. They are not applied at all for buyers and do not carry any valuable information about the composition of the substance placed in the tube. The marks are intended for the machine on which these tubes are made - this way it recognizes where the cut needs to be made.

To make it clearer, let's look at the technological process of making a tube of toothpaste in more detail.

1. Let us take as the starting point the arrival on the conveyor of a ready-made foil tape, on which the corresponding drawings and inscriptions are applied. The machine cuts the tape into segments of the required size.
2. Then the machine rolls these segments into tubes and seals them on one side - on the side where the lid will later be.
3. This foil “bag” is turned over and goes further along the conveyor. It is filled with toothpaste and sealed on the other side.
4. The tube of toothpaste is almost ready. A date is applied to the soldering site, and next to it you can see the notorious colored stripe - black, blue, red or green.

The edge of the colored strip that remains on the sealed side of the tube is a light marking. It is read by an optical sensor installed on the machine and makes a cut exactly where it is needed. Using this method, all the inscriptions and pictures on the tubes end up exactly where they need to be, without being shifted to the side.

Why are they used? different colors? And this can be explained very simply. The color of the strip usually matches the color of the main inscription or design on the package. This makes it easier for the sensor to read, and the operator does not have to reload color cassettes in the printing press.

Who, when and for what purpose came up with the fairy tale that stripes have great importance, the meaning of which is to be disclosed to employees of the production factory hygiene products prohibited by the charter - unknown. Obviously, he was a great joker and now he has a lot of fun watching how naive Internet users eagerly read false information and cleverly spread it further and further.

I can only advise them one thing: if you are interested in the composition of toothpaste, then you need to look not at the colored stripes on the package, but at the composition. It’s even better to seek clarification and advice from your dentist.

Probably only the most inattentive consumer did not notice the colored stripes on the adhesive seam on toothpaste tubes. And, of course, I want to know what these mysterious marks mean. Those who care about their health and do not want to be deceived by a cunning manufacturer are especially puzzled by the question. It's time to find out what the meaning is color stripe on toothpaste.

Today, there are several myths, invented by consumers themselves, about secret labeling of toothpaste. It is not enough for people that everything about the contents of the product is written on the back of the tube. Let's take a closer look at them.

The most “advanced” citizens claim that color marks indicate the quality of the composition of a hygiene product.

• The completely synthetic composition of the paste is indicated by a stripe black colors.
• Synthetic product with 20% content natural ingredients mark blue stroke.
• A cleaning product containing only half of beneficial natural ingredients is marked with a stripe. red colors.
• 100% natural product green marking.

This is the most common opinion about the meaning of colored signs. It has been in society for many years and is not going to give up its position. You can meet many people who are absolutely confident in the plausibility of this theory. But if you don’t be lazy and look at the color markings on various care packages cosmetics and household chemicals, then we can finally be convinced of the inconsistency of this theory.

Myth 2

There are adherents of the opinion that stripes on toothpaste are directly related to the ability to influence the condition of the gums. More precisely, to inflammation of the periodontal tissues - periodontal disease. The theory states that:

• Black A line marks a remedy that provokes the development of periodontal disease. It contains substances that have a detrimental effect on the condition of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth.
• Tubes with red The markings contain a composition manufactured in accordance with GOST, but entirely of chemical origin.
• Green The shade of the mark indicates that the composition of the hygiene product is safe for periodontium.

This theory is not the most widespread, but it does exist.

Myth 3

Often among ordinary people you can find “experts” of the true meaning of the colored marks on the adhesive seam of tubes with paste. They claim that the color indicates the recommended duration of use of the product.

• Toothpaste is very harmful to tooth enamel black stripe on the tube.
• Pasta allowed for daily care behind the teeth, marked blue line.
• The product, which it is advisable to use for no more than 1 week, and then take a break, has a strip red colors.
• Pasta with green The strip can be used for 30 days; it has a therapeutic and preventive effect.

It turns out that you need to buy several hygiene products with different colored signs and alternate them with each other. Purchasing paste with a black mark is, of course, excluded!

Myth 4

This myth is associated with the solvency of buyers and their class affiliation. It divides dental care products into elite, middle class and economy products.

• A cleanser made from cheap synthetic ingredients is labeled black line.
• Hygienic product with mark blue color contains higher quality components and has a healing effect on teeth and gums.
• Highly effective elite has on tube red strip.

This hypothesis is paradoxical, since several pastes from the same manufacturer average price have colorful stripes on their packages.

There are several more interesting assumptions about what the color markings on toothpaste tubes mean. But these are just guesses and hypotheses. Ignorance of the truth gives rise to rumors and distorts facts.

We reveal the secret of what the mysterious stripes mean

It's actually very simple. In production, in order to correctly position the future tube of toothpaste in the tube-filling machine, a colored mark is placed on the seam of the package. The most contrasting and brightest color in relation to the overall palette of the tube is taken. The sensor automatically reads this identification mark and the seam is sealed at this location. That's all. A banal technological process.

Now we know what the stripes on toothpaste tubes mean. One less misconception. And in order to use this or that toothpaste, you need to carefully read the composition of the product on the back of the tube. There you can find comprehensive information about the components of the product and its properties.

I didn’t think that I would have to write this post - everyone seems to have known the answer to the question for a long time, but one of my readers the other day asked what the colored stripes on tubes of cosmetics and toothpaste actually mean. She sent me a link to a VKontakte post in which an openly delusional version was voiced. So I decided to explain what the colored stripes on the tubes actually mean.

Myth: The color of the strip is related to the composition of the product.

Seven or eight years ago, I heard a version that stripes of different colors show the degree of naturalness of the product. If the stripes are dark, the product consists only of synthetic components. Red ones are less dangerous - only 70% “chemistry”. Green - can you guess it yourself? That's right, completely natural. Well, how many of you think the same?

In fact, there is no connection between the contents of the tube and the color/shape of the strip. This is a myth that has been supported by many media outlets for several years. For example, Elena Malysheva, who had already spoiled her reputation with dubious statements, in one of the episodes of the “Health” program, with a smart look, talks outright nonsense about stripes on tubes, supporting this myth. Apparently, the person who wrote the script for the episode decided not to bother and included in it the first thing that came across on the Internet. Or - and I believe this more - there are manufacturers who benefit from spreading such rumors in order to increase sales.

Stripes on tubes - a technical element

The strip on the tube is a marking that allows the sensor on the conveyor to determine where the tube should be cut. The color of the strip depends on the color of the tube: if it is dark, the strip will be light, and vice versa. The machine reads the maximum contrast color better. I have everything!

I understand that it’s easier for a person to trust a colored stripe than to look for the composition and try to understand it, but we don’t want to be a thoughtless herd, right? So, when you hear such nonsense, use your head and critically evaluate the information.

Nowadays, almost all toothpaste tubes can be found color-coded. However, none of the manufacturers explains what it means. There are a lot of versions on the Internet explaining the importance of these colored squares, but in reality everything is much more banal. From the current material you will learn what the colored stripes on a tube of toothpaste actually mean.

This marking is applied to the “tail” of the tube (see picture), it can be found at every toothpaste manufacturer. Most likely, it was the widespread use of colored lines that became the reason for the spread of the myth about their sacred meaning for the consumer.

The most common colors are blue, green, black and red. For some reason, it is generally accepted that this indicates the safety of a particular paste and the percentage of harmful substances in its composition. chemicals. The theory is as follows:

• Black stripe– denotes the most harmful toothpaste, consisting of 100% chemicals and abrasives that are harmful to children's teeth. It is recommended for whitening only.
• Blue stripe– less harmful toothpaste, which contains 80% chemicals. At long-term use may cause periodontal disease and other complications, therefore it is used only in medicinal purposes for a short period of time.
• Red stripe– the paste contains 50% harmful substances, it is not suitable for people with gum problems.
• Green stripe- fully natural product, recommended by dentists for regular use.

In fact, the color coding of toothpaste does not convey any useful information for the consumer. It is used in technological process manufacturing of packaging and at the request of the customer can be any. When choosing, you need to carefully study the composition of the toothpaste, and not focus on the color of the tube strips.

Some manufacturers have already managed to get their bearings by starting to produce toothpaste with a green square on the tube. Although the paste itself may be 100% synthetic. The most interesting thing is that this is not prohibited by law.

In the profile GOST 7983-99 “Dentistry. Toothpastes. Requirements, test methods and labeling” and ISO 11609-95 do not have any requirements regarding colored stripes on toothpaste. In addition to the standard information on the packaging (name and address of the manufacturer, composition, storage conditions, expiration date, etc.), only mass fraction fluoride Neither the color marking itself nor the meanings of its colors are spelled out in these documents.

Once again, the stripes on the toothpaste are only needed to make the tube itself, they have nothing to do with safety or composition.