National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has recalled Hand Sanitizers by DIBAR Nutritional and warned Nigerians against the use of DiBAR Nutritional hand sanitisers.
The warning is contained in a public alert titled “Recall of Hand Sanitizers by DiBAR Nutritional due to the presence of Methanol”
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye the Director General of the agency said NAFDAC received information from the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) about the presence of methanol in some sanitisers.
Methanol which could also be referred to as wood alcohol is a substance that can be toxic when ingested or absorbed through the skin.
The side effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
Those at risk include persons who use affected sanitisers on their hands, young children who accidentally ingest the products, and adolescents and adults who drink the products as alcohol (ethanol) substitutes.
Adeyeye stressed that methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitisers and must not be used due to its toxicity.
The agency asked Nigerians experiencing the listed symptoms were urged to seek treatment for a potential reversal of toxic effects of poisoning.
NAFDAC implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to avoid the distribution, sale and use of methanol alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Related problems can be reported to the nearest NAFDAC office, through the 20543 toll-free lines or the website