FDA Issues Alert for Hand Sanitizers From Mexico

Who knew that in 2021 we would become such experts on things like where to find toilet paper, and how much alcohol is actually in hand sanitizers? Well, thank goodness the toilet paper shortage has eased a little bit, but with hand sanitizer being such an important part of our daily lives now, it's best to pay attention when the Food and Drug Administration issues a warning.

According to an official press release from the FDA, they have taken action to place all alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico on "Import Alert" to protect US consumers from harm. USA Today says the alert is for hand sanitizer that could possibly be contaminated with dangerous methanol. And the agency stated that methanol, which is also known as wood alcohol "can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and life-threatening when ingested." Yikes.

The alert was not the first from the FDA concerning dangerous or ineffective hand sanitizers. Last year they added to a list of over 130 products that have basically flooded the market since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and caused a shortage of items such as soap, paper goods, and hand sanitizer. It is also the very first time that the FDA has sent out a countrywide warning, so you know we need to be paying close attention. And here's another thing, the methanol is probably not going to be listed on the label from the products imported from Mexico. Read more on the FDA alert from USA Today.