Health Canada has issued an expanded recall notice for a brand of hand sanitizer sold at Dollarama.
After initially reporting that counterfeit versions of Daily Shield hand sanitizer had been sold at locations in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the federal health department has now recalled the product in all retail locations across Canada, effective immediately.
Upon further investigation, Health Canada says Daily Shield — manufactured by Ontario-based Bio Life Sciences Corp. — is not a counterfeit product as initially thought but instead contains methanol, which is not authorized for use in hand sanitizers and can cause serious health issues.
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According to Health Canada, the frequent use of hand sanitizers containing methanol may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation, and headaches. “If ingested, methanol can cause severe, even deadly adverse reactions. As a result, Health Canada directed Bio Life to stop selling and recall all Daily Shield hand sanitizers immediately.”
Health Canada
Health Canada
Testing also confirmed that the ethanol content in the product is less than the recommended amount and the hand sanitizer is therefore “not likely to provide effective sanitizing functions, such as killing germs and bacteria.”
Health Canada says it also discovered a number of code violations at Bio Life and has suspended its manufacturing licences. The department is continuing to follow up on Bio Life’s other products to determine if more action is needed.
Health Canada
Health Canada encourages consumers to always read and follow the directions on product labels and reminds citizens that hand sanitizer is for external use only and should never be ingested, as even small amounts can be dangerous or fatal.
The department says it will continue to monitor the situation and update its hand sanitizer recall webpage should any additional recalls be necessary.
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