David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Recall of certain hand sanitizers that may pose health risks
Health Canada
August 5, 2020
Summary
Issue
Health Canada is advising Canadians that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers in Canada. Denaturants are added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption and, therefore, to avoid the unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers (particularly by children).
Since these unacceptable types of ethanol and denaturants have not been approved for use in hand sanitizers in Canada, the Department has not reviewed them for safety or efficacy. Multiple types of unacceptable ethanol and denaturants have been found in hand sanitizer products. Possible adverse reactions to the ingredients in these products may include dermatitis, such as skin irritation and cracking; eye irritation; upper respiratory system irritation; and headaches.
Health Canada will update this list if it becomes aware of other affected products, so that Canadians can easily identify ones they may have purchased and take appropriate action. Canadians are encouraged to consult the list regularly for updates. Health Canada also maintains a list of hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol and are being recalled from the market because they are not compliant with federal regulations and may pose a risk to health.
What you should do
Stop using the products listed below or on the list of hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol and may pose a risk to health. Please follow municipal or regional guidelines on how to dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste. You may also return the product to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
Certain hand sanitizers containing industrial-grade ethanol
Product description
Please note that the products in the following table are listed alphabetically, rather than by the date they were added.
Note that a previous version of this advisory was posted on June 6, 2020. This revised version contains updated information about the different unacceptable ingredients, such as denaturants, found in certain hand sanitizers and their associated risks.
Background
Ethyl acetate: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing ethyl acetate may cause dry skin, leading to irritation or cracking.
Methanol: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing methanol may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation, and headaches.
Related AWRs
Manogel (2020-06-30)
Archived - Recall of certain hand sanitizers that may pose health risks
Health Canada
August 5, 2020
Summary
- Product: Certain hand sanitizers made with ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable ingredients for use in hand sanitizers.
- Issue: Health Canada is advising Canadians that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain types of ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable ingredients for use in hand sanitizers in Canada.
- What to do: Stop using these products. Consult your healthcare professional if you have used any of these products and have health concerns. Report any health product adverse events or complaints to Health Canada. See the additional information on buying health products safely in the links below.
Issue
Health Canada is advising Canadians that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers in Canada. Denaturants are added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption and, therefore, to avoid the unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers (particularly by children).
Since these unacceptable types of ethanol and denaturants have not been approved for use in hand sanitizers in Canada, the Department has not reviewed them for safety or efficacy. Multiple types of unacceptable ethanol and denaturants have been found in hand sanitizer products. Possible adverse reactions to the ingredients in these products may include dermatitis, such as skin irritation and cracking; eye irritation; upper respiratory system irritation; and headaches.
Health Canada will update this list if it becomes aware of other affected products, so that Canadians can easily identify ones they may have purchased and take appropriate action. Canadians are encouraged to consult the list regularly for updates. Health Canada also maintains a list of hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol and are being recalled from the market because they are not compliant with federal regulations and may pose a risk to health.
What you should do
Stop using the products listed below or on the list of hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol and may pose a risk to health. Please follow municipal or regional guidelines on how to dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste. You may also return the product to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
- Consult your healthcare professional if you have used these products and have health concerns.
- To help limit the spread of COVID-19, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if soap and water are not available.
- Use hand sanitizers that have been authorized for sale in Canada. These products can be found on the list of hand sanitizers that meet Health Canada's requirements.
- Consult the list of hand sanitizers authorized or registered in other jurisdictions that may not display an NPN or DIN but have been accepted for use in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list of accepted products can be found here.
- Report any health product adverse events or complaints to Health Canada.
Certain hand sanitizers containing industrial-grade ethanol
Product description
Please note that the products in the following table are listed alphabetically, rather than by the date they were added.
| Product | Unacceptable Ingredient | Recalling Company | NPN or DIN | Lot number(s) | Expiry Date | Date Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adclean (Technical) | Ethyl Acetate | Adfast Canada Inc. | 80098241 |
| April 2022 | July 10, 2020 |
| May 2022 | |||||
| Aktif Antiseptique instantané pour les mains | Ethyl acetate | Laboratoire Hygienex Inc. | 80098088 |
| May 16, 2022 | June 10, 2020 |
| Biogel | Ethyl acetate | Groupe Savon Olympics, Inc. | 80098684 |
| April 2022 | July 3, 2020 |
| BioVectra Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | BioVectra, Inc. | 80097796 |
| September 2020 | July 21, 2020 |
| December 2020 | |||||
| Biovectra Hand Sanitizer – Topical Gel | Ethyl acetate | BioVectra, Inc. | 80099246 |
| April 2021 | July 21, 2020 |
| May 2021 | |||||
| June 2021 | |||||
| Clean & Green Hand Sanitizer Gel | Methanol; ethyl acetate | Hope, Grace and Healing, DBA HgH Integrative Aromatics | 80100887 |
| May 2022 | August 4, 2020 |
| June 2022 | |||||
| Dash Vapes Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | DashVapes Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| April 10, 2021 | June 11, 2020 |
| Defend Gel Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Corporate Facility Supply, Inc. | 80100149 |
| May 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Dermogen | Ethyl acetate | Inter Cosmetiques Inc | 800981429 |
| May 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Désinfectant Mousseux Pour les Mains | Ethyl acetate | Solutions Enviro-Formula, Inc. | 80101041 |
| Not printed on the label | July 21, 2020 |
| Eltraderm Hand Sanitizer - 70% Ethyl Alcohol | Ethyl acetate | Eltraderm Limited | 80098540 |
| April 2022 | June 6, 2020 |
| eSafe | Methanol | Groupe Enov, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| April 2021 | July 3, 2020 |
| May 2021 | |||||
| Facility Plus Complete Facility Services-Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol | Ethyl acetate | The A&J Power Group Inc., DBA Facility Plus | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| May 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Frid + Russell Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Green Dolphin Systems Corp. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) | All. Lot number not printed on the label. | Not printed on the label. | July 10, 2020 |
| Gel 700 Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Nature's Own Cosmetic Company Inc. | 80100166 | 118 mL format
| May 2022 | June 9, 2020 |
| Gel 700 Hand Sanitizer | Methanol; ethyl acetate | Nature's Own Cosmetics Company | 80100166 |
| April 2022 | June 17, 2020 |
| May 2022 | |||||
| Gel Antiseptique Pour Les Mains | Ethyl acetate | Mégalab Inc. | 80015567 |
| March 2022 | June 22, 2020 |
| Gel désinfectant pour les mains | Ethyl acetate | Solutions Enviro-Formula, Inc. | 80100221 |
| Not printed on the label | July 21, 2020 |
| Gentle Hand Sanitizer With Aloe | Ethyl acetate | Angel Cosmoceuticals, Inc. | 80098753 |
| May 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Germ Eliminator | Methanol | 677042 Ontario Ltd. (DBA Donview Manufacturing) | 80101737 |
| December 2020 | July 10, 2020 |
| ||||||
| Germ Eliminator | Ethyl acetate | 677042 Ontario Ltd. (DBA Donview Manufacturing) | 80101737 |
| December 2023 | July 10, 2020 |
| Germzero | Ethyl acetate | Flash Beauté Inc. | 80099604 |
| November 2022 | June 22, 2020 |
| Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Contract Packaging Distributions Inc. | 80098453 |
| April 2022 | June 6, 2020 |
| Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | JIS Enterprises Inc.(DBA JIS Specialty Products) | 80099670 |
| April 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Hand Sanitizer Alco-San | Ethyl acetate | Crown Chemical Products, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| Not printed on the label | June 30, 2020 |
| July 3, 2020 | |||||
| Hand Sanitizer Désinfectant pour les mains | Ethyl acetate | Walker Emulsions Ltd. | 80100040 |
| Not printed on the label | June 6, 2020 |
| Hand Sanitizer Mano-San | Ethyl acetate | Shifaah Health | 80100572 |
| April 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Healthcare Plus Sanitizing Hand Gel | Ethyl acetate | The Color Group, Division of Canadian Custom Packaging | 80002430 |
| April 2022 | July 3 2020 |
| Isogel | Ethyl acetate | Lalema Inc. | 80098996 |
| May 13, 2021 | June 11, 2020 |
| Kleen RX Hand Sanitizer Gel | Ethyl acetate | Spa Dent, Inc. | 80098426 |
| April 2023 | July 21, 2020 |
| Manogel | Methanol | Constant America | 80098846 |
| March 2022 | July 3, 2020 |
| KS-Progel Plus | Ethyl acetate | Delta Pharma Inc. | 80097773 |
| April 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Manogel | Ethyl acetate | Constant America | 80098846 |
| April 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| MB Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Multi-Blend Ltd. | 80099571 |
| May 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| June 2022 | |||||
| Protectenol Hand Sanitizer Liquid | Ethyl acetate | Applied Lubrication Technology | 80098373 |
| Not printed on the label | June 10, 2020 |
| Purus | Methanol | Pharmalab, Inc. | 80097823 |
| April 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Sanatouch | Ethyl acetate | Bio Organic Solutions Corp. | 80098484 |
| April 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Sanilabs Hand Sanitizer 70% Ethanol | Ethyl acetate | Sanilabs Inc. | 80098769 |
| April 20, 2022 | June 6, 2020 |
| April 28, 2022 | |||||
| Sanitagel | Methanol | Jefo Nutrition, Inc. | 80098567 |
| March 2021 | July 3, 2020 |
| April 2021 | |||||
| Septeeze | Ethyl acetate | Les Produits Ultrapro, Inc. | 80098001 |
| May 2022 | July 21, 2020 |
| Smart Care | Ethyl acetate | R&D Technical Solutions Ltd. | 80099110 |
| May 2022 | June 10, 2020 |
| Tekare Instant Hand Cleanser Gel | Ethyl acetate | TEKPolymer Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on the label) | HG200320 (not printed on the label) | April 2023 | June 22, 2020 |
| Tidol Hand Sanitizer 70% | Ethyl acetate | Tidol Corporation | 80099632 | 7080 | April 2022 | June 10, 2020 |
| Upstreet Do Gooder Hand Sanitizer 65% | Ethyl acetate | Upstreet Craft Brewing | 80098137 | A B | April 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Upstreet Do Gooder Hand Sanitizer 80% | Ethyl acetate | Upstreet Craft Brewing | 80100114 | C | April 2022 | July 27, 2020 |
| Vima-San | Ethyl acetate | Crown Chemical Products, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| Not printed on the label | June 30, 2020 |
| Vima-San | Ethyl acetate | Crown Chemical Products, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
| Not printed on the label | June 30, 2020 |
| Vima-San Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Green Dolphin Systems Corp. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) | All. Lot number not printed on the label. | Not printed on the label | July 10, 2020 |
| Vitalpur | Ethyl acetate | Laboratoire Capillaire Guy Décaux | 80100023 |
| Not printed on the label | July 10, 2020 |
| Walker Emulsions Hand Sanitizer | Ethyl acetate | Walker Emulsions Ltd. | 80098678 |
| Not printed on the label | June 6, 2020 |
| X-Pure Vert-2-Go Gel | Ethyl acetate | Wood Wyant Inc. | 80013648 |
| April 2022 | June 10, 2020 |
Note that a previous version of this advisory was posted on June 6, 2020. This revised version contains updated information about the different unacceptable ingredients, such as denaturants, found in certain hand sanitizers and their associated risks.
Background
Ethyl acetate: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing ethyl acetate may cause dry skin, leading to irritation or cracking.
Methanol: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing methanol may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation, and headaches.
Related AWRs
Manogel (2020-06-30)
Archived - Recall of certain hand sanitizers that may pose health risks
