Daily Shield hand sanitizer recalled for having methanol
A hand sanitizer containing the harmful alcohol methanol has been recalled by Health Canada.
The agency issued an advisory Thursday stating all Daily Shield hand sanitizers would be recalled across Canada due to the presence of the methanol.
Additionally, the hand sanitizer does not contain the recommended amount of ethanol, meaning it is likely ineffective at killing germs and bacteria, the advisory said.
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a grain alcohol found in hand sanitizers and works as a disinfectant. Methanol is a naturally occurring wood alcohol and is not authorized in the use of hand sanitizers. Health Canada has said it can pose serious health risks such as dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and can be deadly if ingested.
Anyone who purchased this product is advised to stop using it. The Daily Shield sanitizer in question is labelled NPN 80098979, Lot 6942, Expiry May 2023.
Health Canada has directed BioLife Sciences to “stop selling and recall all Daily Shield hand sanitizers immediately.”
In a statement, the company said it is only a distributor and does not manufacture the product.
“BioLife Sciences is not the original manufacturer of the product, nor has it ever manufactured any form of hand sanitizer product,” the statement said.
“We do not possess any facilities or resources capable of producing hand sanitizer or related products, we are a distributor, who was granted a Health Canada NPN to request private label manufacturing of sanitizer products from third party manufacturers.”
Health Canada’s advisory, meanwhile, states that BioLife was found to have “a number of good manufacturing practice” violations, including poor record keeping, lack of control of inventory and lack of finished product testing.
“As a result, Health Canada directed the company to stop all licensable activities. All product licences held by the firm have been suspended and an intent to revoke the COVID-19 site licence has been issued. Health Canada is continuing to follow up on Bio Life’s
other products to determine if other action is needed,” the advisory said.
BioLife told the Star the product was manufactured in Mexico and was a “bad batch of product.”
Health Canada initially believed Daily Shield to be a counterfeit product.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and dozens of distillers and new companies began pumping out hand sanitizer, Health Canada has recalled more than 100 products.
Health Canada identified the first bad batch of Daily Shield in a Thunder Bay Dollarama store. The Montreal-based discount retailer previously said that the product was available in roughly half the chain’s stores and each location sold about 17 bottles.
Dollarama said the sanitizers were removed as soon as Health Canada began investigating and the agency is now working to verify that it is no longer being sold by any other distributors or retailers.