WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration now cites over 100 hand sanitizers that show “concerningly low levels of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol.”
An update published Friday now lists 101 varieties of hand sanitizers after testing found that they may contain methanol, which can be absorbed through the skin and poison users.
The active ingredient that kills germs in legitimate sanitizers is ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. But some Mexican companies have been replacing it with poisonous methanol, or wood alcohol, which is used in antifreeze.
Methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death, according to the FDA.
“The agency urges consumers not to use these subpotent products and has expanded its list to include subpotent hand sanitizers, in addition to hand sanitizers that are or may be contaminated with methanol,” according to a news release.
The FDA first warned of contaminated hand sanitizers in June when nine hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico had the potential presence of methanol in test samples.
The illegitimate gels generally don’t list methanol as an ingredient on their packaging.
Below is the list (updated Monday), which includes subpotent hand sanitizers, in addition to hand sanitizers that are or may be contaminated with methanol, according to the FDA: