FDA issues alert of sanitizers with methanol

Kelly Tyko
USA TODAYPublished 12:20 AM EDT Aug 2, 2020UPDATE: See the the latest story here.The Food and Drug Administration issued another warning Monday to not use certain hand sanitizers that may contain methanol or wood alcohol, a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested.The FDA is continuing to update its “do-not-use list of dangerous hand sanitizer products,” which included 87 varieties of hand sanitizer that should be avoided – some of which have already been recalled – and other products being recommended for recalls because they may contain the potentially fatal ingredient.“Practicing good hand hygiene, which includes using alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available, is an important public health tool for all Americans to employ,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement. “Consumers must also be vigilant about which hand sanitizers they use, and for their health and safety we urge consumers to immediately stop using all hand sanitizers on the FDA’s list of dangerous hand sanitizer products.”Save better, spend better:  Money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up hereIn the new warning, the FDA says it is “urging consumers not to use any hand sanitizer products from the particular manufacturers on the list even if the product or particular lot number are not listed since some manufacturers are recalling only certain – but not all – of their hand sanitizer products.”The agency says that in most cases, methanol does not appear on the product label but that it is “not an acceptable ingredient in any drug, including hand sanitizer, even if methanol is listed as an ingredient on the product label.”Masks required: Walmart, Lowe’s, Aldi, Target among retailers adding face masks requirements due to COVID-19. See the full list.Stores staying closed on Thanksgiving 2020: Target stores to close Thanksgiving due to COVID-19 pandemic, following Walmart’s holiday closing announcementThe FDA said it has taken steps to prevent the products from entering the country by placing them on an import alert. Most of the products appear to have been produced in Mexico and according to the alert should be detained because they pose a health risk.“We remain extremely concerned about the potential serious risks of alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing methanol,” Hahn said. “Producing, importing and distributing toxic hand sanitizers poses a serious threat to the public and will not be tolerated.”In June, the FDA warned consumers not to use nine kinds of hand sanitizers because they may contain methanol, and added to the list in early July and further expanded the list multiple times in July.Methanol is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide and alternative fuel source, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure to it can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system and death.The FDA says it has seen an increase in number of “adverse events, including blindness, cardiac effects, effects on the central nervous system, and hospitalizations and death, primarily reported to poison control centers and state departments of health.”Hand sanitizer has been a popular product to combat the coronavirus since February, and many new types have entered the market after shortages of brands including Purell.The FDA said Monday that it has found methanol contamination in hand sanitizer products ranging from 1% to 80% in its testing.Avoid these hand sanitizers that may contain methanolThe FDA is advising consumers not to use the following hand sanitizers because tests found them to contain methanol or they were “purportedly made at the same facility as products in which FDA has tested and confirmed methanol contamination.” The FDA also says to avoid sanitizers from the companies.Find more information, including the product code where available, on the FDA website.Eskbiochem’s All-Clean Hand SanitizerEskbiochem’s Lavar 70 Gel Hand SanitizerEskbiochem’s Esk Biochem Hand SanitizerEskbiochem’s The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand SanitizerEskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% AlcoholEskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% AlcoholEskbiochem’s CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% AlcoholEskbiochem’s Saniderm Advanced Hand SanitizerGrupo Insoma’s Hand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% AlcoholMystic International’s Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizerCosmeticas’ Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizerCosmeticas’ Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance FreeTropicosmeticos’ Be Safe Hand SanitizerTropicosmeticos’ Wave Hand Sanitizer GelTropicosmeticos’ Cleaner Hand Sanitizer Rinse Free 70%    Tropicosmeticos’ Handzer Hand Sanitizer Rinse FreeTropicosmeticos’ Urbane Bath and Body Hand Sanitizer    Tropicosmeticos’ Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%    Tropicosmeticos’ Parabola Hand Sanitizer  Tropicosmeticos’ Kleanz Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer AdvancedAAA Cosmetica’s bio aaa Advance Hand Sanitizer AAA Cosmetica’s QualitaMed Hand Sanitizer  AAA Cosmetica’s LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 4 ozAAA Cosmetica’s LumiSkin Advance Hand Sanitizer 16 oz4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear Ethyl Alcohol 70%4E Global’s Blumen Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer with 70% Alcohol4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe, with 70% alcohol4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Clear4E Global’s Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Lavender, with 70% alcohol4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear4E Global’s BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender4E Global’s BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol4E Global’s BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol4E Global’s Blumen Antibacterial Fresh Citrus Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s Blumen Hand Sanitizer Fresh Citrus4E Global’s BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe Vera4E Global’s BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free4E Global’s Hello Kitty Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s The Honeykeeper Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s Assured Aloe4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Aloe and Moisturizers)4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer (Vitamin E and Aloe)4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe and Moisturizers4E Global’s Assured Instant Hand Sanitizer Vitamin E and Aloe4E Global’s KLAR and DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer4E Global’s KLAR AND DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer (labeled with Greenbrier International Inc.)4E Global’s MODESA Instant Hand Sanitizer Moisturizers and Vitamin EDDI Multinacional’s Earths Amenities Instant Unscented Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera AdvancedDDI Multinacional’s Hand Sanitizer Agavespa SkincareDDI Multinacional’s Vidanos Easy Cleaning Rentals Hand Sanitizer Agavespa SkincareLimpo Quimicos’ Andy’sLimpo Quimicos’ Andy’s BestLimpo Quimicos’ NeoNaturalLimpo Quimicos’ Plus AdvancedLiqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Lubricants Instant Hand SanitizerMaquiladora Miniara’s Selecto Hand SanitizerMaquiladora Miniara’s Shine and Clean Hand SanitizerCosmeticas’ Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 70%Yara Elena De La Garza Perez Nieto’s   DAESI Hand SanitizerReal Clean Distribuciones’ CavalryReal Clean Distribuciones’ ENLIVEN Hand Sanitizing GelReal Clean Distribuciones’ Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing GelReal Clean Distribuciones’ Born Basic Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer 65% AlcoholReal Clean Distribuciones’ Born Basic Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer 70% alcoholReal Clean Distribuciones’ Scent Theory – Keep It Clean – Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand SanitizerReal Clean Distribuciones’ Scent Theory – Keep It Clean – Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand SanitizerMXL Comercial’s Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl AlcoholMXL Comercial’s Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol Rinse Free Hand RubLiqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Instant Hand SanitizerLiqesa Exportacion or Liq-E’s Optimus Instant Hand SanitizerBroncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% AlcoholBroncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% AlcoholBroncolin’s Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70%  AlcoholLaboratorios Jaloma’s Jaloma Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 62% with Vitamin ELeiper’s Fork Distillery Bulk Disinfectant per 5 gallonLeiper’s Fork Distillery 16-ounce bottleRecalled hand sanitizersThe following products have been recalled as of July 28:ITECH 361’s All Clean Hand Sanitizer, Moisturizer and Disinfectant: UPC code 628055370130.Transliquid Technologies’ Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer: NDC numbers include 75477-435-02, 75477-435-10, 75477-435-12, 75477-435-25, 75477-435-50 and 75477-534-10.Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer, 1-liter bottles: Two distributors. The UVT hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 0530 and an expiration date of 04/2022 and the Saniderm Products hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 53131626 and “Manufactured on April/1/20.”4e Brands North America’s Blumen brand is “voluntarily recalling all lots of Hand Sanitizer brands to the consumer level.” This is an expansion of an earlier recall.Real Clean Distribuciones is voluntarily recalling all lots it manufactured within expiry of the following brand names of hand sanitizers: “Born Basic ANTI-BAC HAND SANITIZER, Scent Theory KEEP CLEAN Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer, Scent Theory KEEP IT CLEAN Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer and Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel to the consumer level.”LIQ-E S.A. de C.V. is voluntarily recalling all lots and all bottle sizes of “The OPTIMUS Instant Hand Sanitizer” manufactured between April 27 and May 8.Resource Recovery & Trading LLC is “voluntarily recalling all the lots manufactured by MXL Comercial S.A. de C.V.” with the following information: “Hand Sanitizer 70% Ethyl Alcohol Disinfectant Gel, packaged in 6.7 FL Oz. (200 ml) bottles, UPC 650240026020 and Hand Sanitizer Non-sterile Solution 70% Topical Solution, packaged in 20L (5.28 Gal) liter plastic containers, UPC 37710600013 to the consumer level.”Broncolin is “voluntarily recalling all lots of Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol to the consumer level.” The hand sanitizer comes in four different sizes, according to the recall notice. Nationwide coin shortage 2020: U.S. Mint asks Americans to ‘start spending their coins’ to help with coin shortage spurred by COVID-19New Amazon boxes: Amazon introduces boxes that can be recycled into cat condos, forts and other creationsFollow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

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