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WASHINGTON – US health officials are again warning Americans to avoid a growing list of imported hand sanitizers that may be contaminated with the toxic chemical methanol.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Monday that there have been increasing reports of injuries as people use, sometimes ingest, unauthorized disinfectants, which can lead to blindness, heart problems and death.
The active ingredient that kills germs in legitimate disinfectants is ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. But some Mexican companies have been replacing it with poisonous methanol or wood alcohol, which is used in antifreeze.
The FDA first issued a consumer warning about the products last month.
Last week, the agency issued a warning letter to Mexican manufacturer Eskbiochem SA de CV to market disinfectant containing more than 80% methanol and falsely claiming that it was “FDA approved.”
The FDA has published a “do not use” list of more than 80 disinfectants on its website and has blocked their import. The agency said it is working with retailers to remove products left on the shelves of American stores. Illegitimate gels generally do not include methanol as an ingredient in their packaging.
