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More than half of hand sanitizers imported from Mexico contain dangerous levels of toxic ingredients and should not be used by consumers, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration. In January alone, more than 900 accidental poisonings involving hand sanitizer were reported in the United States, the vast majority involving young children.
The FDA on Tuesday issued a nationwide import alert for alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico, the agency’s latest attempt to remedy a pandemic– peak induced in products contaminated with methanol or wood alcohol. The substance, which in most cases is not listed as an ingredient on labels, can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and can be fatal when ingested.
“Although people using these products on their hands are at risk of methanol poisoning, young children who ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol substitute are most at risk,” he said. noted by the FDA.
The increased use of hand sanitizers has led to a increased accidental poisoning, most involving children. According to data from the National Poison Data System, 938 cases of exposure to hand sanitizer were reported to 55 U.S. poison control centers during a 10-day period from January 1, 2021 to January 10, a 57% increase from one year ago. . Of these cases, nearly 600 involved children aged 5 and under.
“During the ongoing pandemic, the agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products from Mexico that were labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but which have tested positive for methanol contamination, ”the FDA said.
Long list of reminders
The FDA has warned consumers for months against using a long list of hand sanitizers containing methanol, calling them a serious safety concern that has led to blindness, hospitalizations and death . Exposure to methanol can also lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, seizures, coma and permanent damage to the nervous system, the agency said.
“Consumer use of hand sanitizers has increased dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, especially when soap and water are not available, and the availability of low-quality products containing dangerous and unacceptable ingredients is not available. will not be tolerated, ”Judy McMeekin, associate commissioner of affairs regulation at the FDA, said in the statement Tuesday.
The import alert – the agency’s first for a category of pharmaceuticals, she said – follows an FDA analysis that found 84% of Mexico’s hand sanitizers sampled from April to December 2020 did not comply with FDA regulations. The majority of the samples contained dangerous amounts of toxic ingredients, including methanol and / or 1-propanol.
Shipments of hand sanitizers from Mexico can now be detained by the FDA and will be subject to further scrutiny, the agency said.
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