FDA warns against using five more hand sanitizers found to contain methanol

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration has added five hand sanitizers to its list of products that have tested positive for a toxic chemical, according to a news release from Yavapai County Community Health Services. (Stock photo)

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration has added five hand sanitizers to its list of products that have tested positive for a toxic chemical, according to a news release from Yavapai County Community Health Services. (Stock photo)

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration has added five hand sanitizers to its list of products that have tested positive for a toxic chemical, according to a news release from Yavapai County Community Health Services.

These hand sanitizer products tested positive for methanol, which is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through skin or ingested.

The FDA's discovery comes just two weeks after the agency advised consumers not to use nine hand sanitizers manufactured by the Mexican company Eskbiochem SA, because samples had tested positive for methanol. Exposure to significant amounts of methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

Anyone exposed to these hand sanitizers should seek immediate treatment, the FDA warns.

The five hand sanitizers added to the FDA's list are:

• Grupo Insoma's Hand Sanitizer Gel Unscented, 70% alcohol

• Transliquid Technologies' Mystic Shield Protection Hand Sanitizer

• Soluciones Cosmeticas' Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free

• Soluciones Cosmeticas Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution Hand Sanitizer

• Tropicosmeticos' Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%

The initial nine hand sanitizers the FDA warned about:

• All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)

• Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)

• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)

• Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)

• The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)

• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)

• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)

• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)

• Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

These have all been manufactured in Mexico.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that proper hand hygiene is an effective response to Covid-19, and the agency recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.

SEE FULL TESTING & MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR RECALL LIST

The FDA also maintains an online chart outlining information on hand sanitizer labels for consumers to use to identify a product:

-That has been tested by FDA and found to contain methanol.

-That is being recalled by the manufacturer or distributor.

-That is purportedly made at the same facility as products that have been tested by FDA and found to contain methanol.

FDA advises consumers not to use hand sanitizers from companies, or products with names or NDC numbers that appear on this chart (scroll down on this page to search tool).


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