Nairobi, March 3 -- Unilever has lost its bid to continue using the words "10X cavity fighting" in its Pepsodent toothpaste advertisements after global rival Colgate claimed the slogan was misleading and unlawful.

The High Court dismissed Unilever's appeal against a decision by the Standards Appeals Council (SAC) ordering the company to discontinue the claim in its toothpaste campaign, intensifying the toothpaste war.

The ruling closes a two-year legal battle over whether the claim was scientifically substantiated or amounted to misleading marketing.

Global multinationals Unilever and Colgate Palmolive are locked in a fight for the oral care market as they slow the pace of price increases and step up marketing spend in a bid to revive ...