Health Canada is advising Canadians that multiple hand sanitizers have been added to a growing recall list because they may pose health risks to consumers.
The products are being recalled from the marketplace because they do not meet Health Canada's requirements, and customers should stop using them immediately, explains a release from the department.
Reasons for recall include:
- containing (or possibly containing) ingredients that are not permitted by Health Canada;
- improper labelling;
- missing risk statements;
- being unauthorized for sale in Canada;
- being sold without proper product testing;
- being counterfeit; or
- having defective or faulty packaging.
Soaring demand for hand sanitizers due to COVID-19
Health Canada adds that the demand for hand sanitizers increased drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it has temporarily allowed manufacturers to use technical-grade ethanol in alcohol-based hand sanitizers to keep up with demand.
That said, technical-grade ethanol sanitizers have more impurities than pharmaceutical- and food-grade ethanol, and manufacturers must choose from a list of Health Canada-authorized suppliers. Additionally, they must receive a No Objection Letter from the department before they can manufacture or distribute the product.
Manufacturers must also include specific risk statements on their product labels if the ethanol impurities exceed a certain level.
Unauthorized denaturants and medicinal ingredients
Two unauthorized denaturants have been found in hand sanitizers sold in Canada:
- Ethyl acetate: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing ethyl acetate may cause dry skin, leading to irritation or cracking
- Methanol: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing methanol may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and headaches
An unauthorized medicinal ingredient has been found in hand sanitizers sold in Canada:
- 1-Propanol: Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing 1-propanol may cause eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as dry cracking skin, drowsiness and headache
Counterfeit products may contain ingredients not listed on the label, dangerous additives or other contaminants. In addition, they may not contain the active ingredients Canadians would expect them to contain. Since counterfeit products are unauthorized and made with an unknown formulation, they may not be effective at killing bacteria and viruses, and may pose serious risks to health.
Have a look at the list of the recalled products.
|
Product |
Reason for recall |
Company |
NPN or DIN |
Lot Number(s) |
Expiry Date |
Date Added |
|
Annex/Raft Hand Sanitizer |
Faulty packaging; not properly labelled (incorrect product expiry date placement) |
Annex Ale Project, Limited |
80098532 |
001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 |
April 25, 2020 to June 9, 2020 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Anti-Microbe |
Not properly labelled (improper directions for use in children) |
ATOMS F.D., INC. |
02248351 |
All |
All |
2021-02-03 |
|
Germs Be Gone Hand Sanitizer Gel |
Not properly labelled (incorrect label) |
Brands International Corporation |
80101519 |
20146030 |
May 2023 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Gigi's Goodbye Germs Hand Sanitizer |
Not authorized for sale in Canada |
Simply at Home, Inc. |
Unlicensed. Affected lots are labelled with the incorrect NPN 00167630 or 80099956. |
BB/MA 30/AL/2025 BB/MA 29/AL/2025 BB/MA 28/AL/2025 BB/MA 27/AL/2025 BB/MA 24/AL/2025 BB/MA 23/AL/2025 BB/MA 22/AL/2025 BB/MA 21/AL/2025 BB/MA 20/AL/2025 BB/MA 16/AL/2025 BB/MA 15/AL/2025 BB/MA 14/AL/2025 |
April 2025 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Gigi's Goodbye Germs Hand Sanitizer |
Not authorized for sale in Canada |
Simply at Home, Inc. |
Unlicensed. Affected lots are labelled with the incorrect NPN 00167630 or 80099956. |
BB/MA 07/MA/2025 BB/MA 06/MA/2025 BB/MA 05/MA/2025 BB/MA 04/MA/2025 BB/MA 01/MA/2025
|
May 2025 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Happy Natural Products - Ethanol Sanitizer 80% (May also be sold as Happy Hand Sanitizer) |
Not properly labelled (invalid NPN) |
Midori Products, Inc. |
80099774 (does not appear on the label) |
Not printed on the label |
Not printed on the label |
2021-02-03 |
|
Hello Bello Hand Sanitizer Gel Alternate Brand Names: SiL Hand Gel Sanitizer; AK Hand Sanitizer; Carry Clean Hand Gel; Defcon Hand Sanitizer; Lifebrand Hand Sanitizer; SiL Antiseptic Gel |
Not properly labelled (improper directions for use in children); sold without proper testing |
Unconditional Love Canada, Inc. |
80100271 |
All |
All |
2021-02-03 |
|
Hello Bello Hand Sanitizer Spray Alternate Brand Names: Hand Sanitizer Spray |
Not properly labelled (improper directions for use in children); sold without proper testing |
Unconditional Love Canada, Inc. |
80096879 |
All |
All |
2021-02-03 |
|
Hello Bello Hand Sanitizer Spray Alternate Brand Names: SiO2 Innovation Labs Hand Sanitizer Spray; Carry Clean Hand Sanitizer Spray; DEFCON 1 Hand Sanitizer Spray; McCaughey Consumer Products Hand Sanitizer Spray |
Not properly labelled (improper directions for use in children); sold without proper testing |
Unconditional Love Canada, Inc. |
80099139 |
All |
All |
2021-02-03 |
|
HydraPure Gel |
Missing risk statements; product not authorized to contain technical-grade ethanol |
Les Eaux Saint-Leger/ Waters, Inc. |
80097923 |
20119 |
April 2021 |
2021-02-03 |
|
HydraPure Gel |
Missing risk statements; product not authorized to contain technical-grade ethanol |
Les Eaux Saint-Leger/ Waters, Inc. |
80097923 |
20128 |
May 2021 |
2021-02-03 |
|
PurGerme; ByeByeGerms; Cardea |
Contains unacceptable medicinal ingredient, 1-propanol |
Groupe LAV Inc. |
80098625 |
All lots manufactured between March 2020 and September 2020 except SO-0629A, SO-0629B, 80098625, 80098625-8, 2010002, 2010006, 2010007, 2010008, 2010013, 2010014, 2010015, 2011001, 2011002, 2011004, 2011005, 2011006, 2012001, and 2012002 |
March 2023 to September 2023 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Silver Sanitizer |
Not authorized for sale in Canada |
10932540 Canada, Inc. DBA Bio Life Sciences Corp. |
Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) |
All |
All |
2021-02-03 |
|
Xero Germs |
Sold without proper testing |
National Therapy Products, Inc. |
80100321 |
N20249 |
July 2022 |
2021-02-03 |
|
Zytec Germ Buster |
Counterfeit product |
Northern National Sales, Inc. |
80015625 |
3329733126 |
April 2022 |
2021-02-03 |
What you should do
- Stop using the products identified in the table.
- Follow municipal or regional guidelines on how to dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste; or
- Return the product to your local pharmacy for proper disposal
- Contact the company if you would like more information about the recall
- Consult your health care professional if you have used these products and have health concerns
To help limit the spread of COVID-19, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that have been authorized for sale in Canada. Consult these resources for more information:
- the list of Health Canada-authorized hand sanitizers; and
- the list of hand sanitizers authorized or registered in other jurisdictions that may not display a Natural Product Number (NPN) or Drug Identification Number (DIN) but have been accepted for use in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic
Report any health product adverse events or complaints to Health Canada.
