Urgent product recall issued for two hand sanitisers over fears they are 'toxic'

Toxic hand sanitiser which can cause burns and can lead to blindness if swallowed has been urgently recalled after being found on sale in the UK.
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Trading Standards has recalled stocks of brands called lbcccndc Instant Hand Sanitiser' and Yucky Hands – which have been on sale via Amazon and Ebay.

Worryingly, one of the gels was found to contain 37 per cent methanol - a highly toxic banned substance that if ingested, can lead to blindness and death.

Methanol is currently on The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association's list of banned ingredients allowed in any hand sanitisers in the UK.

A commuter uses hand sanitizer (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)A commuter uses hand sanitizer (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
A commuter uses hand sanitizer (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

A toxic alcohol, it is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.

lbcccndc is made in China by a company called Guangzhou Sizhu Network Technology Co.

Meanwhile, the second hand gel to be recalled was called Yucky Hands, despite the fact that its US-based producer, YuckyGroup, claimed the gel was 'FDA & WHO approved'.

While this hand sanitiser did not contain methanol, an analysis revealed that it only contained an alcohol volume of 42.3 per cent, which is considered insufficient to effectively kill viruses, including Covid-19.

Hand sanitiser gels have been urgently recalled.Hand sanitiser gels have been urgently recalled.
Hand sanitiser gels have been urgently recalled.

Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said: 'It's really worrying that hand sanitisers that at best fail to protect and at worst could cause serious harm to someone's health continue to be found readily available on online marketplaces.

'While it's positive that these hand sanitiser products have been recalled, this raises further question marks over the checks and monitoring carried out by online marketplaces.

Public Health England recommends only purchasing hand sanitisers with an alcohol volume of over 60 per cent.

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