The Biggest Controversies in Procter and Gamble History

Proctor and Gamble is one of the biggest companies in the world. Founded by William Proctor and James Gamble, the corporation owns pet food companies, cleaning supply companies and personal beauty companies. It’s not uncommon to see the P&G logo on many of the items most Americans use on a daily basis. However, despite the success and popularity of the company, Proctor and Gamble is a company that has been involved in its fair share of controversy.

TSS

If you’ve never heard of TSS, you’re not reading enough tampon boxes. Toxic shock syndrome is associated with the use of tampons, and it’s very rare. However, back in 1980 it wasn’t nearly as rare. There were several hundred cases of TSS and 38 of those resulted in death. The vast majority of the complaints filed for TSS were related to P&G Tampons. The company voluntarily recalled them and removed them from shelves.

Animal Safety

P&G made an announcement in 1999 that the company would limit its use of animals in testing situations. While the company did use animals freely throughout that ear, they now only use them for about 80 percent of their products. It’s a lot, and PETA has made it their mission to stop consumers from using P&G products until they stop testing them on animals.

Satanic Logos

For many years P&G used a logo that was in memory of the original 13 colonies in the US. In the 80s, however, someone decided that the logo was satanic. The logo was said to look a lot like a symbol mentioned in the bible, in Revelations 12:1. The company ultimately decided to change their logo when it was publicly announced that their logo was a satanic interpretation of the bible verse.

Fixed Prices

Just a few years ago, the company admitted to orchestrating a price fixing cartel and was fined by the European Commission. The fix was said to be in conjunction with several other companies, though one did not end up being given a fine. This occurred in 2011.

(Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Written by Tiffany Raiford

Tiffany Raiford is a lifelong Floridian, wife to my high school sweetheart and mother of four littles (two girls and boy/girl twins...no, they are not identical and yes, I'm sure). My kids love to whine, so I love to wine. My loves include nap time, bed time, date night, travel and evenings and weekends when my husband is home because he handles all diaper changes.