FDA Continues to Recall Hand Sanitizers During COVID-19 Pandemic

From the start of the pandemic, people have been flocking to buy hand sanitizers to help combat exposure to the coronavirus. Hand sanitizers are generally recommended when people don’t have access to soap and water. Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is beginning to aggressively monitor hand sanitizers because they contain dangerous toxins.

According to a July 15 Fox News report, more than 65 hand sanitizers have tested positive for methanol. Methanol, according to the FDA, “can be poisonous if absorbed through the skin” or if the chemical is ingested. Many of the hand sanitizers with methanol, according to the Fox news report, were manufactured in Mexico. The methanol-based hand sanitizers entered the market in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early, during this health emergency crisis, it was virtually impossible to find any hand sanitizers.

FDA’s oversight started when the agency found out that many hand sanitizers, which were supposed to contain ethanol, also contained methanol.

The Fox News story stated that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “methanol is a toxic alcohol typically used as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.” Anyone who is exposed to methanol, according to the FDA may suffer:

• Death
• Permanent blindness
• Seizures
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Permanent damage to their central nervous system

The FDA recommends that anyone who has any of these symptoms should seek immediate medical help “for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning.” The FDA is especially concerned with:

• The dangers of drinking hand sanitizers – even if they don’t have methanol
• “Certain hand sanitizers that may not contain a sufficient amount of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol”
• Hand sanitizers that make false clams that they can “prevent the spread of viruses such as COVID-19, including claims that they can provide prolonged protection (e.g., for up to 24-hours)”
• Products that claim they have FDA approval when they don’t

FDA is recommending recalls for hand sanitizers that contain methanol.

A few of the recent products recommend for recall include products manufactured by

• 4E Global, SAPI de CV (Mexico)
• AAA Cosmetica (Mexico)
• DDI Multinacional SA de CV (Mexico)
• Eskbiochem SA de CV (Mexico)

The CDC, as reported by Fox News, generally recommends that people wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or more. Hand sanitizers should contain at least 60% alcohol.

Who’s liable if a recalled hand sanitizer causes harm?

If a product is defective and the defect causes death or physical harm when used, then the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers may be strictly liable. Strict liability means there is no need to prove fault if the product has a defect and causation between the defect and the death or injuries can be proved.

Generally, if a product is recalled, the recall is a pretty good indicator that the product was defective. While the manufacturers of hand sanitizers are often foreign companies, they can be held liable if their products hurt American consumers. Distributors and retailers based in America may also be strictly liable for selling recalled products.

At Cunningham & Mears, our highly respected Oklahoma City product liability lawyers work with product safety experts and physicians to help prove products are dangerous. We review the recall status of each of the products are clients used. Our skilled attorneys fight to obtain all the damages you deserve including wrongful death damages, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages and income. If a loved one died or you were injured due to the use of any product, phone our Oklahoma City office at 405.232.1212 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis.