If you're stocking up on hand sanitizer, check the label - the FDA says some brands out there could be toxic.
Over the weekend, the FDA identified nine hand sanitizer products that contain the toxic chemical methanol, also known as wood alcohol.
The listed brands include CleanCare NoGerm, Saniderm, Lavar 70, The Good Gel, All-Clean, and Esk Biochem.
In issuing its warning Friday, the FDA said the Mexico-based manufacturer Eskbiochem SA de CV had rebuffed its request that it remove the "potentially dangerous products" from the U.S. market. Agency tests found samples of one product, Lavar Gel, contained 81% methanol and those of CleanCare No Germ contained 28%.
"Do not flush or pour these products down the drain," the agency's announcement stressed.
Experts say if ingested, methanol poisoning can lead potentially cause blindness, seizures, nervous system damage, or even death.
The FDA is not aware of any reports of adverse effects from using the products, it added. Still, consumers exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical in potentially reversing the toxic effects of methanol poisoning, according to the FDA.
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