WASHINGTON (News Nation) — The Food and Drug Administration has added dozens of more hand sanitizers to a list of products that should be avoided after they tested positive for methanol contamination.
There are now a total of 75 kinds of hand sanitizers on the updated list of toxic products, some of which have already been recalled while others are being recommended for recalls.
⚠ See full list of recalled products lower in the story.
All of the hand sanitizers on the list were produced in Mexico.
According to the FDA, it has seen a spike in the number of hand sanitizer products labeled to contain ethanol, but have tested positive for methanol, which can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested.
The FDA had first warned consumers in June about nine hand sanitizer products to avoid due to the possible presence of methanol.
Two weeks later, more brands that tested positive for methanol were added.
“Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death,” according to the FDA.
If you have any of the listed hand sanitizer products, the FDA says to dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour them down the drain.