50% sanitizers consumer body tested ‘adulterated’

MUMBAI: Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) has found only 50% of the more than 120 sanitizer brands it tested last month met the prescribed standards. The report said around 50% were adulterated, of which 4% (five samples) contained toxic methyl alcohol. If used for a longer period, it can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness and other problems. The 54-year-old organization, the oldest such body in the country, said it will forward the report to the Central government and the Food and Drug Administration so that action can be initiated.
In an online conference, Dr M S Kamath, secretary, CGSI, said as constant hand washing and sanitizing has become the norm during the pandemic, several unscrupulous manufacturers have entered the business “to make quick money and take advantage of the situation”.
Kamath said it is advisable to use hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol only if soap and water are not available. He said a problem arises when some manufacturers use toxic methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol.
The report released on Monday said sanitizers containing methanol do not qualify as an ingredient on the label as it is a banned item.
It added while sale of natural ethanol is strictly regulated and so impossible to obtain without an alcohol permit, other permissible kinds, although available without permit or regulatory compliance, are very expensive. “Unscrupulous manufacturers could use branded container packing,” he said.
Among the samples was a Rs 75, 250 ml bottle, which had no alcohol; 37% sanitizers did not match the specifications mentioned on the label.