ROME - Italian authorities have seized a few batches of possibly tainted toothpaste in Florence and other cities in the country's north.

The ministry says checks are being carried out across the country on Colgate toothpaste that was without Italian-language labelling.

The seizures of the toothpaste occurred in Genoa and Aosta as well as in the Tuscan capital, the ministry said in a statement today.

Samples were being analyzed to see if the toothpaste contained dangerous substances.

Concern over tainted toothpaste has spread over recent weeks in some U.S. states and Canada.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last month that toothpaste from China and counterfeit Colgate toothpaste may contain diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze.