Federal health officials are recalling several lots of hand sanitizer and aloe gel because they contain methanol, which can put consumers at risk for serious health issues.
The recall affects 40 lots of Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 80% and Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel, which contains “alcohol denatured with methanol,” according to a notice posted by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA warned in the recent recall that “substantial methanol exposure” can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, as well as permanent damage to the central nervous system or death.
Customers are being told to stop using the products and to discard them. Aruba Aloe Balm N.V.’s affected hand sanitizer gel is packaged in 12 fl oz dark green plastic bottles, and the white labels read, in part, “ARUBA ALOE Hand Sanitizer GEL 80% Alcohol Made in Aruba World’s Finest Aloe.”
The Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel, which is used for temporary relief of pain and itching associated with minor burns, sunburn, insect bites, or skin irritations, is packaged in two sizes: 2.2 fl oz plastic bottles and 8.5 fl oz plastic bottles. The bottles are transparent with labels that read “Alcoholada Gel Pain Relieving Gel 0.5% Lidocaine Hydrochloride.”
During the pandemic, the FDA created a list of over 600 potentially dangerous hand sanitizers after discovering an uptick in the number of sanitizers made with methanol rather than the approved ethyl alcohol. Methanol is commonly used in industrial settings, but it is not safe for use on the skin and can be dangerous if ingested.
