The French consumer protection agency DGCCRF has recently examined over 180 hand sanitising gels on sale in France. Many products were classified as unusable or even dangerous. Similar incidents have been identified in the USA. So what do you need to pay attention to when choosing a hand sanitiser?
More than 180 samples of hand disinfectants tested
The French consumer protection agency DGCCRF has analysed more than 180 hand sanitisers. The results are alarming: 73 percent of the gels have been classified as not effective or even dangerous.
A short overview:
- 13 percent of the hand sanitisers did not contain enough alcohol. The products were found to be ineffective and dangerous to health. A alcohol-concentration of at least 60 up to 80 percent is recommended by the World Health Organisation.
- 22 percent of the hand sanitisers were declared as dangerous because the labelling did not sufficiently declare possible risks when using the products - the flammability, for example.
- Meanwhile, 38 percent of hand disinfectant gels were found to be unsafe due to incomplete or incorrect label declarations.
The results in France are not unusual
It is not the first time that harmful hand sanitisers have been withdrawn from the market. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings and bans on more than 100 hand sanitisers because they were found to be dangerous or ineffective. Many contained methanol, a toxic substance. Harmful products also circulate in other countries, as Northern Ireland has also withdrawn products from sale recently.
With PURELL® hand sanitisers, users know they are reaching for a safe choice. The active ingredient in PURELL hand sanitisers is the highly effective and harmless ethyl-alcohol, which is contained in the perfect concentration. In addition, our gels are enriched with moisturising ingredients. They are quickly absorbed and leave a pleasant feeling on the skin. All products have been manufactured under extremely strict quality standards, are intensively tested on a scientific basis and are even effective against Coronavirus.[1]
Always on the safe side with PURELL
"For us at GOJO, nothing is more important than ensuring people have access to the highest quality hand sanitisers everywhere - from classrooms and restaurants to hospitals and nursing homes," says Sven Jäschke, Country Manager Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe at GOJO Industries. "We have never felt so responsible to deliver on our promise to save lives and improve them through well-being solutions."
Stay healthy!
[1] Effective against Coronavirus according to EN14476+A2 in 30 seconds. Tested on surrogate virus BCoV
