According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, more than half of the hand sanitizers imported from Mexico contain hazardous ingredients of toxic ingredients and should not be used by consumers. In January alone, more than 900 accidental poisonings with the hand sanitizer were reported in the US, the vast majority of which were young children.
The FDA on Tuesday issued a nationwide import warning for alcohol contaminants from Mexico, the agency’s latest effort to pandemicinduced peak in products contaminated with methanol or wood alcohol. The substance, which is usually not listed as an ingredient on the labels, can be toxic if absorbed through the skin, and life-threatening when ingested.
“Although people who use these products on their hands are at risk for methanol poisoning, the greatest risk is for young children who take these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as alcohol substitutes,” the FDA noted.
The increasing use of hand sanitizers has led to a surge in accidental poisoning, in which children are mostly involved. According to data from the National Poison Data System, 938 cases of exposure to hand disinfectants were reported to the 55 U.S. Poison Control Centers over a ten-day period, from January 1, 2021 to January 10, an increase of 57% of a years ago. Of these cases, nearly 600 children aged 5 and younger were involved.
“In the course of the ongoing pandemic, the agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products from Mexico that are labeled as containing ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but tested positive for methanol contamination,” the FDA said. said.
Long list of memories
The FDA has been warning consumers for months against using a long list of disinfectants containing methanol, calling it a serious safety concern that has led to blindness, hospitalizations and death. The exposure to methanol can also lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches, dull face, seizures, coma and permanent damage to the nervous system, the agency said.
“Consumer use of hand sanitizers has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, especially if soap and water are not accessible, and the availability of poor quality products containing hazardous and unacceptable ingredients will not be tolerated,” said Judy McMeekin, a co. Commissioner for Regulations, patience. matters at the FDA, said in the statement Tuesday.
The import warning, according to the agency, the first for any category of a drug product, follows an FDA analysis which found that 84% of hand sanitizers from Mexico that were inspected in April to December 2020 did not comply with FDA regulations did not meet. The majority of the samples contain dangerous amounts of toxic ingredients, including methanol and / or 1-propanol.
Deliveries of hand sanitizers from Mexico can now be detained by the FDA and will be scrutinized, the agency said.