Hand sanitizer, aloe gel recalled over potentially deadly ingredient: FDA
Some hand sanitizer and aloe gel products are being recalled for containing methanol, which can be toxic when applied to the skin or ingested, according to the notice from the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA announced on April 5 that 40 lots of Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 80% and Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel were recalled due to containing “alcohol denatured with methanol.”
The recalled products were distributed between May 1, 2021, and Oct. 27, 2023, and were sold only in the U.S. through the Aruba Aloe Balm website.
Lot numbers and expiration dates of affected products can be found on the FDA website.
“Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache blurred vision, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, permanent damage to the central nervous system, or death,” the risk statement reads.
“Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidently ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute are most at risk for methanol poisoning.”
Customers who bought the products have been notified by the brand via email and have been offered a discount coupon for their next purchase.
The FDA warned that people with recalled products should stop using them and discard them.
Consumers are also urged to contact their physician or healthcare provider if there have been any potentially related problems.
To date, the company has not received any reports of adverse events related to the items.
