New Recalls For Potentially Toxic Hand Sanitizers Sold In Stores
Walmart and Target listed new recalls for potentially toxic hand sanitizers on their websites late last week. The FDA’s recall list of hand sanitizers that may contain methanol, which can be toxic when absorbed into the skin or ingested, has grown to 77 entries.
Walmart released a list of stores nationwide that sold the recalled Scent Theory hand sanitizer, and the company’s Weymouth location makes the list. Read Full Story
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has increased the number of potentially toxic hand sanitizers consumers need to avoid.
The agency first took action on June 19, 2020, when it advised consumers to avoid nine products manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV due to risk of methanol contamination. Further warnings followed on June 29 about another product by that manufacturer, hand sanitizer packaged in one-liter bottles from Saniderm Products for the same reason.
That was just the beginning. In less than two weeks the list of problematic products increased more than sixfold, to 59 by July 2.
The active ingredient in safe and effective hand sanitizer is ethanol (i.e., ethyl alcohol), not methanol (i.e., ‘wood alcohol’), which can be toxic to humans if absorbed through the skin or ingested. The FDA says it has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products labeled to contain ethanol but testing positive for methanol contamination.
The FDA also warns consumers that substantial exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death. Read Full Story and The Full List of Potentially Harmful Hand Sanitizers
