Some hand disinfectant products are packaged in containers typically used for food and drink, leading to concerns that people may accidentally ingest the products, according to health care providers.
On Thursday (August 27), the FS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers about these products of hand infections, which are packaged in a variety of potentially misleading containers, including beer cans, water bottles, soup bottles, vodka bottles and baby bags, it office said in a statement. In addition, officials have found hand infections with food odors, such as chocolate and raspberries.
Hand disinfectants typically contain 60% to 70% alcohol, so can be toxic when ingested, especially for young children who may develop alcohol poisoning.
Related: Dozens of hand testers contain a toxic ingredient. How do you know you are safe?
“I’m increasingly concerned about manuals being packaged to be consumer products,” said FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn in the statement. “These products can distract the consumer by accidentally ingesting a potentially deadly product.”
For example, the FDA recently received a report about a person who bought what they thought was a bottle of water but was actually manual. The agency also learned about a hand sanitizer product sports cartoons for children and packaged in a container that looks like a snack bag, the statement said.
The FDA has identified safety issues with a number of hand sanitizer products that have flooded the market amid COVID-19 pandemic. Since June, the agency has found dozens of sanitizer products containing methanol, a toxic substance that can cause nausea, vomiting, permanent blindness, seizures and even death. Live Science previously reported.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least four people in the U.S. have died after drinking methanol-contaminated hand sanitizer, and about a dozen more have experienced serious health effects, such as vision loss and seizures, Live Science previously reported.
The FDA said it will continue to work with manufacturers to remove potentially hazardous products from the manual and remove them from the market. The agency also maintains a running list of risk takers products of hand infections that people should not use. In early July, the FDA updated this list to include a warning about products of hand infections packaged as food or drink. But Thursday’s warning highlights this issue and provides more detailed information.
Originally published on Live Science.
