Health Canada has issued an advisory to Canadians that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain industrial-grade ethanol, which has not been approved for use in Canada when it comes to sanitizers.
The industrial-grade ethanol within these sanitizers contains impurities not found in the typical ethanol approved for manufacturing, according to an advisory issued from Health Canada.
Health Canada suggests that being exposed to the chemicals added to industrial-grade ethanol can result in “dry skin, causing irritation or cracking.”
In addition, the warning says that “since industrial-grade ethanol has not been approved for use in hand sanitizers in Canada, the Department has not reviewed it for safety or efficacy.”
Below are the products affected by the recall:
- Eltraderm Hand Sanitizer – 70 % Ethyl Alcohol
- Hand Sanitizer from Contract Packaging Distributions Inc.
- Gel 700 Hand Sanitizer – Nature’s Own Cosmetic Company Inc.
- Gel Antiseptique Pour Les Mains – Mégalab Inc
- Germzero
- Sanilabs Hand Sanitizer 70% Ethanol
- Walker Emulsions Hand Sanitizer
- Hand Sanitizer Désinfectant pour les mains – Walker Emulsions Ltd.’s
- Protectenol Hand Sanitizer Liquid
- Tidol Hand Sanitizer
- Tekare Instant Hand Cleanser Gel
- Aktif Antiseptique instantané pour les mains
- Smart Care – R&D Technical Solutions Ltd.
- X-Pure Vert-2-Go Gel
- Dash Vapes Hand Sanitizer
- Isogel
Health Canada recommends Canadians to stop using these sanitizers immediately.
The Department advises to dispose of them safely or return them to a pharmacy, while also suggesting that users get in touch with a healthcare professional.
An updated list of unauthorized sanitizers can be found on Health Canada’s website.
Graham Cox
