The FDA Adds to Its List of Hand Sanitisers With the Toxic Ingredient Methanol

UPDATE: The FDA has added even more brands to its list of dangerous hand sanitisers to avoid – many of which contain the toxic substance methanol – bringing the total number of products up to 90. The FDA announced on July 27 that it has recalled nearly 75 potentially deadly sanitising products, and is working with manufacturers to recall the remaining that are listed.

This story was originally published on June 19.

On June 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on hand sanitiser manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico due to a potential presence of methanol in the formula. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and therefore is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitisers. This notice comes amid the global coronavirus pandemic where there was a temporary shortage of sanitation products like hand sanitiser due to the spike in demand.

Nine types of hand sanitizer products manufactured by Eskbiochem are being called out as dangerous:

• All-Clean Hand Sanitiser
• Esk Biochem Hand Sanitiser
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitiser 75% Alcohol
• Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitiser
• The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitiser
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitiser 80% Alcohol
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitiser 75% Alcohol
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitiser 80% Alcohol
• Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitiser

According to the FDA, samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ hand sanitiser were tested – 81 percent methanol was found in Lavar Gel and 28 percent in CleanCare No Germ.

If you have been exposed to hand sanitiser containing methanol, it is recommended that you seek medical treatment in order to reverse the effects of methanol poisoning. “Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death,” said the FDA in its statement.

You cannot throw these hand sanitisers away with your regular trash, nor should you flush or pour them down the drain. The FDA states you should dispose of them in appropriate hazardous waste containers.