FDA issues 'import alert' for alcohol-based sanitizers from Mexico over safety concerns

The US Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) has placed all alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico on a nationwide "import alert". The FDA has said that it is restricting the import of alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico to protect consumers because they could be potentially dangerous or sub potent. The import alert will help the federal agency to stop products from entering the US market until a safety review is conducted. 

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The FDA, in a statement issued on January 26, said that over the course of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the agency has noted a surge in alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico, most of which contain methanol instead of ethanol. Methanol is wood alcohol that can be harmful when absorbed through the skin. FDA has said under the import alert protocol the agency staff may detain the shipment suspected of being alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico. 

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"Consumer use of hand sanitizers has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, especially when soap and water are not accessible, and the availability of poor-quality products with dangerous and unacceptable ingredients will not be tolerated. Today’s actions are necessary to protect the safe supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers," Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D., FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs said in a statement. 

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50% samples contained harmful ingredients 

The FDA said 84% of the analysed samples from Mexico of alcohol-based hand sanitisers failed to meet the standards of the agency regulations. It said that more than half of the samples analysed between April and December contained toxic ingredients, including methanol and propanol. This is the first time that the FDA has issued a countrywide import alert for any category of the drug product. Demand for hand sanitisers peaked at an all-time high last year after the deadly and highly infectious COVID-19 disease spread across the world.

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(Image Credit: AP/Representative)