FDA says brand of hand sanitizer could be contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals

Federal health officials are asking consumers to avoid another brand of hand sanitizers that may be contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that it had found “unacceptable levels of benzene, acetaldehyde and acetal contaminants” in certain artnaturals scent-free hand sanitizers. Disinfectants are labeled with “DIST. by artnaturals Gardena, CA 90248 ”, according to the FDA.

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The agency said: “The exact risk from using a hand sanitizer containing benzene, acetaldehyde or acetal is unknown. However, benzene is a chemical that can cause some types of cancer in humans Likewise, studies show that acetaldehyde can also cause cancer in consumers, and could lead to “serious illness or death.”

In addition, acetal can cause irritation to the upper respiratory tract, eyes and skin.

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The FDA said it had made “several attempts” to contact artnaturals regarding disinfectants, “including identification of the manufacturer, possible recalls and the extent of the contamination,” but had no response on Monday. .

As a result, the FDA urges consumers not to use artnaturals hand sanitizers, which have been added to its listing potentially hazardous hand sanitizers.

The agency started the list, which now includes 260 products, at the start of the pandemic after seeing a growing number of disinfectants testing positive for harmful and potentially toxic ingredients.

FDA RECALLS MORE HAND DISINFECTANTS ON POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

However, the agency specifically noticed a sharp increase in products testing positive for methanol contamination, which is another “unacceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects.”

Any product on the list should be eliminated “immediately,” according to the FDA.