A Louisiana-based company announced that it was recalling thousands of hand sanitizer bottles that bear a resemblance to water bottles.
American Screening in Shreveport, Louisiana, issued a voluntary recall of 153,336 hand sanitizer bottles on Nov. 19, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration. The 8-ounce bottles, which contain 70% ethyl alcohol gel, have a striking similarity to water bottles, “posing a risk of consumption.”
“Ingesting hand sanitizer, which is intended to topical use, could potentially result in alcohol toxicity,” the statement said. “Symptoms of alcohol toxicity may range from lack of coordination, slowed or slurred speech, drowsiness to coma, which can be fatal.”
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Bearing a similarity to smaller types of water bottles, the clear hand sanitizer bottles either come with a black or clear cap that can be flipped backward.
“The product is intended to be applied topically to help reduce bacteria on the skin that could cause diseases when soap and water are not available,” the statement added.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies, especially distilleries and breweries, rushed to make hand sanitizer as supermarkets were left with empty shelves due to an increased need for the product.
The FDA issued a statement in August 2020 warning consumers that hand sanitizer was being packed in “beer cans, children’s food pouches, water bottles, juice bottles and vodka bottles,” giving off the appearance of “food or drink” items. Additionally, several of them contained “food flavors,” such as chocolate or raspberry.
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There have been no reported incidents regarding anyone consuming the hand sanitizer, according to the FDA’s statement.
The Washington Examiner reached out to American Screening for comment but did not receive a response.
