That’s not water — it’s hand sanitizer. FDA warns of sanitizer packaged like food

Some alcohol-based hand sanitizers are being packaged in food and drink containers that could confuse consumers and cause them to accidentally ingest the product, the Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday.

Hand sanitizer can be toxic if ingested, putting those who consume it at serious risk of injury or death, the agency said in a news release.

The FDA has discovered hand sanitizer packaged in food and drink containers resembling beer cans and kids’ food pouches as well as water, juice and vodka bottles. Some have also been found to contain food flavors such as raspberry and chocolate.

The agency said the packaging and flavoring could confuse consumers — especially children — into ingesting hand sanitizer, leading to potentially disastrous results.

“It’s dangerous to add scents with food flavors to hand sanitizers which children could think smells like food, eat and get alcohol poisoning,” commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in the release. “Manufacturers should be vigilant about packaging and marketing their hand sanitizers in food or drink packages in an effort to mitigate any potential inadvertent use by consumers.”

Sales of hand sanitizer spiked as the coronavirus began to spread throughout the United States, leading to a hike in prices and rationing at stores, according to CNBC.

The FDA said it received a report that one person bought what they thought was a bottle of water only to discover it was actually hand sanitizer.

The agency also received a report of a hand sanitizer product in a snack-like pouch “marketed with cartoons for children.” It added that even a small amount of hand sanitizer can be lethal when ingested by a small child.

The FDA said it is seeing a rise in health events related to hand sanitizer ingestion, including adverse effects on the central nervous system and cardiac effects as well as hospitalizations and death.

The agency is continuing to monitor the products and asks anyone who experiences adverse events or quality problems with hand sanitizers to report it through the MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

The FDA also keeps a list of hand sanitizers it urges people to avoid here.

This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 8:39 AM.