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FDA Issues Alert On All Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Imported From Mexico
Federal health officials have placed an unprecedented import alert on all alcohol-based hand sanitizers imported from Mexico after more than half of the products tested over eight months last year were found to contain dangerously high levels of toxins.
The tainted products had been labeled as containing ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, but upon testing were found containing methanol, or wood alcohol, which can be toxic if absorbed through the skin and deadly if ingested, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Overall, 84% of the samples analyzed between April and December of last year were not in compliance with the FDA’s regulations, the health agency said.
The import alert means imported hand sanitizers from Mexico will be subject to heightened FDA scrutiny, including potential shipment detention. This will attempt to stop potentially dangerous products from entering the country until the agency is able to review the products’ safety.
The FDA for months has issued alerts for hundreds of potentially toxic hand sanitizer brands. But this is the first time that the FDA has issued a countrywide import alert for any category of drug product. It comes amid a particularly challenging time for health safety due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as Judy McMeekin, FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, pointed out.
“Consumer use of hand sanitizers has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, especially when soap and water are not accessible, and the availability of poor-quality products with dangerous and unacceptable ingredients will not be tolerated,” she said. “We will continue to work with our stakeholders to ensure the availability of safe products and to communicate vital information with the health and safety of U.S. consumers in mind.”
The health alert follows the National Poison Data System reporting a 57% increase in reported hand-sanitizer exposures during the first 10 days of January. Roughly 64%...
