Listerine mouthwash stolen in Church Langley
Anybody offered mouthwash "in unusual circumstances" has been urged to contact Essex Police.
The appeal follows the theft of four pallets of Listerine from a lorry in a layby near Church Langley
The side curtain of the lorry was cut open and the mouthwash taken between 13:00 GMT on Tuesday and 02:00 on Wednesday.
Det Con Dave Marsden said police wanted to hear from anybody "offered Listerine for sale in unusual circumstances".
Five men aged between 23 and 28 years old from east London were arrested on suspicion of theft.
They have been released on police bail until 7 February 2013.