Methanol, or wood alcohol, can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and can be fatal if ingested. It is not an acceptable ingredient in hand sanitizers in the United States, according to the FDA.
“Consumer use of hand sanitizers increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, especially when soap and water are not accessible, and the availability of low-quality products with dangerous and unacceptable ingredients will not be tolerated,” Judy McMeekin, FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said at the launch Tuesday.
“Today’s actions are necessary to protect the safe supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. 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 consumers in mind. American consumers. “
From April to December 2020, the FDA found that 84% of the samples analyzed did not comply with FDA regulations and more than half of the samples contained toxic ingredients, including methanol and / or 1-propanol, at hazardous levels, according to with the statement.