Health Canada warns again about risky hand sanitizers

Health Canada has issued yet another advisory telling Canadians that some hand sanitizers made with ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers may pose health risks.

The federal agency notes that denaturants are added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption, and therefore to discourage the unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers (particularly by children). For more information, including what Canadians should do, visit the online safety alert.

At the same time, Health Canada said Canadians are being advised to refer to another list, this one for hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol, that are being recalled from the market because they are not compliant with federal regulations and may also pose a risk to health.

Health Canada maintains these lists of hand sanitizers that may pose health risks, so that Canadians can easily identify products they may have purchased and take appropriate action. The agency says people are encouraged to check both lists regularly for updates.