Consumers should avoid five additional brands of hand sanitizer that tested positive for methanol, a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested, the Food and Drug Administration said. The warning comes after the agency last month. warned against any of the nine brands of possibly toxic hand sanitizer that may contain methanol.
The warnings come at a time when hand sanitizers are in especially high demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, and public health officials urge consumers to wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of disinfectants that contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol, as well as frequent hand washing.
The FDA said Thursday that methanol, or wood alcohol, “is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used because of its toxic effects.” The agency said it is aware of cases of adults and children who have ingested methanol hand sanitizer, leading to blindness, hospitalizations and death.
The FDA is recommending that consumers avoid products from the brands listed below, as well as these specific products with NDC numbers, which it said tested positive for methanol:
- Grupo Insoma hand sanitizing gel fragrance free 70% alcohol (with NDC numbers 75744-0200-3; 75744-0200-4; 75744-0201-5; 75744-0202-1; 75744-0250-1; 75744-0250-2; 75744-0500-1; 75744-1000- 1; 75744-1000-3; 75744-1001-1)
- Transliquid Technologies Mystic Shield Protection Hand Sanitizer (with NDC numbers 75477-435-02; 75477-435-10; 75477-435-12; 75477-435-25; 75477-435-50; 75477-534-10)
- Hand sanitizing gel Bersih de Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV fragrance-free (with NDC numbers 75165-003-02; 75165-004-01; 75165-005-01; 75165-006-01; 75165-008-01; 75165-250-01; 75165-600-01)
- Soluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV’s Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer (no NDC numbers listed)
- Tropicosmeticos SA de CV’s Britz Sanitizer Hand Etil Alcohol 70% (with NCD numbers 76676-402-01; 77676-402-02; 77676-402-03; 77676-402-04; 77676-402-05; 77676-402-06; 77676-402-07; 77676-402- 08; 77676-402-09; 77676-402-10; 77676-402-11; 77676-402-12; 77676-402-13; 77676-402-14; 77676-402-16; 77676-402-17; 77676-402-18; 77676-402-19; 77676-402-20)
The FDA said that consumers who have been exposed to methanol products and who have symptoms should seek immediate treatment to reverse the effects of methanol poisoning, which may include nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision or permanent blindness, seizures. , coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
“Young children who accidentally ingest these products and teens and adults who drink these products as substitutes for alcohol (ethanol) are at increased risk,” the FDA said.
Below are the 9 previous brands that the FDA listed as containing methanol:
- Completely 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)
- Good Gel Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Gel (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)
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