The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a serious warning to Nigerians against the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers imported from Mexico.
The agency urged Nigerians to be vigilant of using such sanitizer as it contain a component that can kill it penetrates the skin
Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general, NAFDAC, said in a public alert issued on Monday that the US Food and Drug Agency (USFDA) had placed all alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico on a countrywide import alert.
NAFDAC said according to the USFDA, the products were labelled as containing ethanol but were found to have methanol contamination.
NAFDAC noted that the alleged sanitizers contained methanol and it exposure to body could result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
It also warned those in possession of such products to discontinue the sale or use and to submit the stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
“The USFDA has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitiser products from Mexico that were labelled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but tested positive for methanol contamination over the course of the ongoing pandemic,” NAFDAC said.
“Methanol or wood alcohol is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and life-threatening when ingested.
“Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient in hand sanitiser or other drugs.
“Under the import alert, alcohol-based hand sanitisers from Mexico offered for import are subject to heightened FDA scrutiny and the shipment may be detained.
“This marks the first time the FDA has issued a countrywide import alert for any category of drug product.”
