The Food and Drug Administration has announced the recall of 40 lots of hand sanitizer and aloe gel that contain methanol and could put consumers at risk for serious health issues.
According to the notice from the FDA, 40 lots of Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 80% and Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel have been recalled for containing “alcohol denatured with methanol.”
In the recall, the FDA warned that those who have “substantial methanol exposure” can experience a variety of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, permanent damage to the central nervous system, or death.
The affected Aruba Aloe Balm N.V. hand sanitizer gel is packaged in 12 fl oz dark green plastic bottles and has white labels reading partially “ARUBA ALOE Hand Sanitizer GEL 80% Alcohol Made in Aruba World’s Finest Aloe.”
The Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel is used by those who have pain and itching associated with minor burns, sunburn, bug bites, and other minor skin irritations. The recalled bottles are packaged in 2.2 fl oz plastic bottles and 8.5 fl oz plastic bottles. The recall notice said they are transparent with labels that read in part, “Alcoholada Gel Pain Relieving Gel 0.5% Lidocaine Hydrochloride.”
Customers who have purchased any of the recalled products are advised to discard them and stop using them immediately.
“Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute are most at risk for methanol poisoning,” the notice said.
So far, Aruba Aloe Balm N.V. has not received any reports of injuries related to the recalled products.
Those affected by the recall were distributed between May 1, 2021, and Oct. 7, 2023. They were sold in “the US online only via the Aruba Aloe Balm N.V. website.”
Customers impacted have been notified by the company and offered a discount coupon for their next purchase.