If you purchased hand sanitzer at a local Dollar Tree store it might be time to throw it away.
The FDA says that the type sold at Dollar Tree, known as Assured Instant Hand Sanitzer with Vitamin E and Aloe could contain methanol.
It’s a chemical that could present serious health consequences for people – if ingested or absorbed through skin.
Those side effects include blindness, seizures, coma, and death.
News10NBC looked for it at local stores, and found some at certain locations – employees of that store in the Rochester-area were even using it.
They say the product is distributed by Greenbrier International, which is the partent company of Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree owns the Assured brand.
The FDA told News10NBC that no one should be using the product, no matter where the bottle indicates that it was distributed from, or where it originated.
“The FDA recommends that consumers immediately stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of the bottle in a hazardous waste container, if available, or dispose of as recommended by your local waste management and recycling center. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain or mix with other liquids.”
Meanwhile, Dollar Tree blamed a third party manufacturer and supplier for the issue. “The third party manufacturer and supplier has now issued a formal recall of certain potentially contaminated product and our hand sanitizer was not included on this list. We and the third party manufacturer and supplier are working to clarify this matter with the FDA,” the company told News10NBC.
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