FDA Adds 4 Brands Of Hand Sanitizer To Growing Recall List
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Food and Drug Administration has added four brands of hand sanitizer to a list of more than 75 that have been recalled.
The four products added to the recall list are:
- Born Basic Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer
- Scent Theory Keep Clean Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer
- Scent Theory Keep It Clean Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer
- Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel
Some have been sold at major nationwide stores, including Walmart and Target.
The recalled brands contain methanol, a chemical used to create fuel and antifreeze. It can make you sick if absorbed through the skin.
According to Dr. Baruch Fertel from the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms can include: "Nausea, vomiting, headache, maybe pins-and-needles funny feeling, but the real classic symptom is blindness or vision disturbance."
At least two people in Arizona had to call poison control recently after using a recalled brand.
"These people admit to using it about 10 to 15 times a day," says Dr. Steven Dudley, the director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. "2, 3, 4 days in a row, and then on that 4th or 5th day they've started to experience some vision impairment," he says.
In both cases, vision returned after the patient stopped using the hand sanitizer.
Health experts say methanol can be present in sanitizers when they're not properly manufactured and methanol will not be listed on the label.
"We really have to buy hand sanitizer from a reputable source or a reputable manufacturer," says Dr. Fertel.
And if you're still unsure about hand sanitizer, experts say you already have a great solution at home. Soap and water are extremely effective at preventing the virus from spreading.
You can find the full list of recalled brands at fda.gov.
