FDA adds to list of hand sanitizers to avoid
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its list of hand sanitizers that consumers should avoid to include products with inadequate levels of alcohol in addition to those containing methanol.
The agency issued an advisory last week announcing that its tests had found four hand sanitizers with “concerningly low levels of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol” — active ingredients in hand sanitizers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend consumers use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% ethanol, if soap and water are not available.
The four hand sanitizers the FDA found to have inadequate concentrations of ethanol are NeoNatural, Medicare Alcohol Antiseptic Topical Solution, Datsen Hand Sanitizer and Alcohol Antiseptic 62 Percent Hand Sanitizer.
Three of the four products, all of which are manufactured in Mexico, were added to an import alert to stop them from entering the United States.
The FDA also flagged other products that had inadequate amounts of benzalkonium chloride, a chemical with antimicrobial properties.
By Tuesday, the FDA’s list of hand sanitizers that consumers should avoid had grown to 115.
In June, the agency warned consumers to avoid nine hand sanitizer products that were manufactured in Mexico because they contained methanol, a substance that can be toxic if absorbed through the skin or ingested.
According to Dr. Matthew Heinz, a hospital physician in Tucson, Arizona, 60% alcohol is the minimum concentration for a hand sanitizer to be effective.
Lower concentrations mean diminished disinfectant properties, he said.