Epoch HealthFDA Notice: Hand Sanitizer Recalled Amid Warnings It Could Cause Comas or Blindness

Methanol Contamination in Hand Sanitizer and Aloe Gel Triggers Nationwide Recall, Revealing Risks of Non-compliance with Safety Standards

In a critical update from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a significant recall has been issued for certain hand sanitizers and aloe gels. The products, identified to contain toxic levels of methanol, pose severe health risks including blindness and nervous system damage. This notice is crucial for healthcare professionals who may encounter patients presenting symptoms of methanol poisoning, emphasizing the need for awareness and prompt response to such exposures.

Key Points:

• A recall has been announced for Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel and Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel across the United States due to contamination with methanol, a substance highly toxic to humans.
• The FDA notice highlights severe health risks associated with methanol exposure, including death, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, and permanent nervous system damage.
• Methanol poisoning can occur even with minimal ingestion; the FDA states that as little as two tablespoons can be lethal to children.
• The recalled products were distributed nationwide from May 1, 2021, to October 27, 2023, through online sales, emphasizing the wide potential exposure.
• Consumers possessing these products are urged to immediately discard them and report any adverse effects to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.
• Other recent recalls mentioned in the notice include more than 8 million bags of various branded laundry detergent packets due to defective child-resistant packaging, and approximately 2 million Black & Decker-branded clothing steamers recalled after numerous burn injuries were reported.

HCN Medical Memo
According to the notice, Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel is used as a hand sanitizer and is packaged in a 12-ounce dark green bottle with a white label that reads, in part, “ARUBA ALOE Hand Sanitizer GEL 80% Alcohol Made in Aruba World’s Finest Aloe.” The other product being recalled, Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel, is used for temporary relief of pain and itching. It’s packaged in a transparent 2.2-ounce plastic bottle with a label that reads, in part, “Alcoholada Gel Pain Relieving Gel 0.5% Lidocaine Hydrochloride.”

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