It’s been a while since we wanted you about problematic hand sanitizers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies started making hand sanitizers and problems occurred. Some of these hand sanitizers contained ingredients that shouldn’t be in that product, had impurities, were improperly labeled, were sold without being tested, or were counterfeit, or had defective or faulty packaging. So in Canada, a long list of problematic hand sanitizers has been posted by the CFIA.
You can see the long list of recalled hand sanitizers that were sold in Canada at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) web site, along with the potential health risk, the company, the NPN or DIN number, and the lot number.
Some of the recalled brands and products include Zero Tolerance Plus Sanitizer, which may contain benzene; Davey’s Sanitizing Hand Wipes that may contain benzalkonium chloride; Nomad Hand Sanitizer Lavender that may contain methanol at elevated levels; Sani-Derm, that may contain ethyl acetate; MediCare Hand Sanitizer Group that may contain acetaldehyde; Prevent+Foam Sanitizer that may be contaminated with Burkholderia stabiles; Avalon Laboratories Ethanol Hand Sanitizer 80% Secure Hand Sanitizer, that may contain acetaldehyde; and Luxe Health Hand Sanitizer Gel that may contain benzene, among others.
If you purchased any of these products, stop using them immediately. Do not throw them away; follow your municipal or regional guidelines on how to dispose of them as hazardous waste, or return them to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
If you used any of these products and have health concerns, contact your doctor. Never drink or eat hand sanitizers; swallowing even small amounts can be dangerous or fatal. If any is swallowed, call a poison control center an seek medical help immediately.
