Although hand sanitizers have become part and parcel of our daily lives, with experts advising us to constantly wash our hands and keep surfaces clean, it seems like not all versions of the 2020 staple are safe.
Since June 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled a number of hand sanitizer brands and, since then, more "nos" have been added to that list. You can monitor the constantly updated list right here. As of now, there are 165 products mentioned in it. You can also search the list for a particular brand, a task we suggest you follow through with before purchasing any hand sanitizer.
The reasons for the recalls are varied, including mis-labels ("the agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol but that have tested positive for methanol contamination," reads an official FDA press release from July 2), recalls by the manufacturer and/or distributor and subpotency, "meaning it has less than the required amount of ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or benzalkonium chloride," according to a press release.
In its latest press release, made public just yesterday, the FDA warns "consumers about alcohol-based hand sanitizers that are being packaged in containers that may appear as food or drinks and may put consumers at risk of serious injury or death if ingested." Specifically speaking, folks should watch out for beer cans, water and juice bottles, children's food pouches and vodka bottles that are actually disinfectants. There's more, unfortunately: the agency has discovered hand sanitizers that actually contain food flavors the likes of raspberry and chocolate.
As a reminder: hand sanitizer is toxic when ingested so make sure to keep it far away from your mouth, even if it looks like water.
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