Fake alert: Nameless hand sanitisers flood markets amid coronavirus threat

KOCHI: The COVID-19 threat has led to acute shortage of hand sanitisers in the market. The branded ones, at least. Now, fake sanitisers are flooding the city. Being sold at higher prices Broadway and even malls, such sanitisers do not even have a brand name.

A reality check by TNIE revealed that wholesale shops are supplying sanitisers of inferior quality and that too at higher prices. If a 50 ml sanitiser containing ethyl alcohol costs `120, the fake ones cost `170 per 50ml.

“Branded sanitisers are not available even for our personal use. However, with the COVID-19 scare rising by the day, the demand for sanitisers is skyrocketing. At Broadway, only sanitisers and masks are in demand. Other shops are not witnessing any business,” said an owner of a wholesale shop at the market.
Another shopkeeper at Broadway said where duplicate sanitisers were earlier brought from Mumbai, some manufacturers are now making it here itself. “Since there is no name or address on the label, it is difficult to trace the manufactures’ details. And though their quality is inferior, people have no choice but to buy the sanitisers,” said the shopkeeper.

Curbs on buying sanitisers

Several shopping malls and supermarkets in the city and across the state have imposed restrictions on the purchase of hand sanitisers. Lulu Hypermarket, the largest shopping mall in Kochi, only allows purchase of two sanitisers per customer.

“I had to cough up `120 for a 50ml sanitiser containing ethyl alcohol. They were earlier sold for `40. Shopping malls are charging higher prices for even unknown brands of sanitisers and on top of that, they have introduced restrictions on purchasing the item,” said Biji Jishu, a Kakkanad resident.