Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian-made toothpaste named Oral-Me has been raising eyebrows as a major consumer group slammed the brand as being pornographic, a news report said Tuesday.

The toothpaste, which has just recently been released in the local market, has already been tagged "crude" for its curious name, the New Straits Times reported following interviews with consumers.

"It's crude. It sounds like a statement more than anything else. Manufacturers should think twice before naming their products," Melissa Leong, 28, told the daily.

The Consumers Association of Penang research officer Hatijah Hashim said the name carried a pornographic connotation.

"It should not be allowed in the market. I wonder what the people in charge had in mind when they came up with the name," said Hatijah.

However, makers of the toothpaste defended the branding, saying it was merely to connect the product to oral care.

They declined to indicate the volume of sales of the toothpaste since its release.