US Health Regulator Lists 378 Hand Sanitisers Consumers Should Not Use

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in China, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a list of hand sanitisers it recommends avoiding. According to Newsweek, the list includes 378 different hand sanitisers, most of which were produced in Mexico, the United States and China. 

In a press release, the FDA stated different reasons for recalling a number of hand sanitisers. Products containing methanol, 1-propanol, benzene, acetaldehyde, or acetal, or labelled to contain methanol, or have been found to have microbial contamination, are being recalled by the manufacturer or distributor. 

As per FDA, other factors, like not having the required amount of ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or benzalkonium chloride, also play into recalls. Some products were made in the same facility as other products that contained toxic products and others might have been packaged in a container that resembles a food or beverage container that poses a risk of potential accidental ingestion, the press note read. 

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A few products produced in China, which have Disney and other popular labels, have been recalled by the FDA, according to Newsweek. The list includes Disney Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer, Disney Princess Hand Sanitizer, Disney Frozen II Hand Sanitizer, Marvel Spiderman Hand Sanitizer and Star Wars Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer, (Green and Blue Gel formulas). 

"Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning," the FDA stated, adding, "Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death." 

Further, US health officials recommended using a hand sanitiser that contained at least 60 percent alcohol. "FDA remains vigilant and will continue to take action when quality issues arise with hand sanitizers," the press release read. 

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"Additionally, the agency is concerned with false and misleading claims for hand sanitizers, for example that they can provide prolonged protection such as 24-hours against viruses including COVID-19, since there is no evidence to support these claims," it added. 

Meanwhile, the updated list comes amid a time when China, in particular, is seeing an uptick in both infections and deaths. Notably, as per the outlet, there have been more than 673 million Covid cases reported and more than 6.74 million deaths worldwide since the virus was first detected in late 2019.