The contents only came to light due to testing by the independent pharmacy Valisure. The class for this action is all individuals and entities in the US and its territories and possessions who, since April 1, 2020, bought a hand sanitizer product, not for resale or distribution, that was made, distributed, or sold by Virgin Scent or ArtNaturals. Last year, the FDA alerted customers to stay away from other “toxic” hand sanitizers in a similar warning. Yikes! Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard / Bloomberg. A study by an independent pharmacy and lab found benzene, a toxic chemical that can cause cancer, in 44 brands of hand sanitizer. This class action does not include claims for personal injury. The pharmacy’s test results were verified by Yale University’s Chemical and Biophysical Instrumentation Center and Boston Analytical, a private lab. Some hand sanitizers made to help meet demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic had high levels of a cancer-causing agent known as benzene, according to a new study . “Valisure’s testing found benzene present at levels in the Hand Sanitizer Products ranging from 2.2ppm to 16.1ppm – all of which were over the 2ppm interim level (assuming it even applied to the product, i.e., if the product was not a gel or foam),” the lawsuit said. “Most of these don’t have any detectable levels. The company resumed bottling soon after the problem was identified and solved, and was bought by Nestle SA in 1992. One Scentsational product that tested for high levels of benzene held 14 times the limit of methanol, which is 630 parts per million. On Wednesday, Valisure asked the Food and Drug Administration to take action on the contaminated products. March 29, 2021 at 3:01 pm EDT By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk. While those brands, like most of those tested, didn’t contain unsafe benzene levels, many new entrants did, according to Valisure. It may have been introduced during the manufacturing process when germ-killing alcohol is purified, Valisure said. >> Read more trending news. Since ArtNaturals does not disclose that its hand sanitizers contain benzene, the complaint alleges that it is misbranded or mislabeled. 2. Are you looking for a hand sanitizer with different scents? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The analysis also found high levels of methanol in the hand sanitizers. Read More: Carcinogen in Zantac and Generics Triggers FDA, EU Probes. Read More: America’s Love Affair With Cheap Drugs Has a Hidden Cost. Hand sanitizer recall, and what you should know. "Valisure has tested and detected high levels of benzene and other contaminants in specific batches of hand sanitizer products containing active pharmaceutical ingredients of ethanol and isopropanol," says their report. We recently updated our packaging and drug facts label to better clarify our wipes are intended to help kill germs only on hands and skin and are not approved by the EPA for killing germs … An assortment of hand sanitizers that flooded the market during the coronavirus crisis contain high levels of benzene, according to Valisure, an … The cancer research arm of the World Health … The amount of benzene found was significantly higher than the limit set and allowed to the FDA. Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg. Carcinogenic: Hand sanitizers used to combat COVID-19 found to have toxic, cancer-causing chemical Valisure found several hand sanitizers with traces of benzene, a … The Creme Shop. Hand sanitizer brands with bottles testing for the highest levels of benzene detected by Valisure. TrueWash. Your new online msds binder is a place for you to store the material safety data sheets you need to deploy. In most cases, washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water is superior to using hand sanitizer anyway. Among the most contaminated hand cleaners were products from artnaturals, Scentsational Soaps and Candles Inc., The Creme Shop and a Baby Yoda-themed bottle from Best Brands Consumer Products Inc. Each started selling the cleaners that were tested by Valisure in either April or May of 2020, according to FDA records. Bottles of hand sanitizer from these 15 brands are identified in Valisure's report as having high levels of benzene: Artnaturals Scentsational Soaps & Candles Inc. In 2019, Valisure also identified elevated levels of a probable carcinogen called DMF, or dimethylformamide, in blood pressure drugs. In March 2021, the analytical laboratory Valisure found high levels of benzene and other contaminants in hand sanitizers from different makers. This hand sanitizer is available 7.4 fL oz or 200 mL. Calls and emails to the manufacturers and retailers requesting comment weren’t returned. by: K. Querry-Thompson. An artnaturals sanitizer contained the most benzene of those sampled, at 16 parts per million. While benzene should be removed in the final steps of manufacturing after the alcohol is purified, it may not have been, Valisure said. Hand Clean 100. The complaint alleges that the hand sanitizers contain benzene, which is a known carcinogen, “at levels many multiples of the emergency, interim limit set by” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cigarette smoke accounts for about half of the benzene exposure in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. According to the complaint, the FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) all claim that benzene is a carcinogen and/or that it can cause cancer in human beings. Benzene has been linked to certain blood cancers, such as leukemias. Our hand sanitizer wipes utilize an ultra-potent formula with 75% Ethanol Alcohol that kills up to 99.9% of germs for hygienic hands anywhere you travel! In 1990, a local environmental official in North Carolina discovered benzene in bottles of Perrier water that led the company to conduct a massive recall and halt distribution to 120 countries. … Benzene in hand sanitizer is really concerning right now, simply because of the sheer numbers of adults and KIDS who are using it! The FDA considers hand sanitizers to be over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, subject to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). A variety of hand cleaners that flooded the market after point-of-sale pillars disappeared contain high levels of benzene, according to . Huangjisoo. The pharmacy previously found high levels of other carcinogens in drug components manufactured overseas for the U.S. market. The new Guidance established a temporary limit for benzene of 2 ppm. An assortment of hand cleaners that flooded into the market after mainstays disappeared from retail outlets contain high levels of benzene, according to Valisure, a New Haven, Connecticut-based online pharmacy that tests products for quality and consistency. This class action brings suit against Virgin Scent, Inc., which does business as ArtNaturals, for its hand sanitizer products. Artnaturals unscented hand sanitizer (8 oz.) Fill out this form for a FREE and prompt case evaluation. ArtNaturals Hand Sanitizers Benzene Content Complaint. However, as the Covid-19 pandemic increased the demand for hand sanitizers, outstripping the supply, more companies began producing the product and the FDA brought out a Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency (Covid-19), Guidance for Industry. Plus, the packaging is designed to quickly and easily dispense the wipes. Updates with comments from the FDA in sixth paragraph. The complaint claims, “Until early March 2020, the FDA did not allow any benzene in hand sanitizer products given its carcinogenic and reproductive toxicity potential.”. However, when Valisure tested 260 different hand sanitizer products from around the country, they found 44 samples that contained more than two ppm of benzene, which could present a serious risk to human health. It specializes in body oils, hair, skin, and bath, and body. Harvard Environmental Health and Safety, a department of Campus Services, advised University affiliates to suspend use of hand sanitizers containing the human carcinogen benzene… Most hand sanitizers Valisure found and tested were gels. The FDA eventually required Zantac and its generic form, ranitidine, to come off the market in the U.S. Artnaturals. Singapore Cluster Grows; Seychelles Cases Easing: Virus Update, Biogen Hopes Alzheimer’s Drug Mired in Controversy Earns FDA Nod, South Africa Covid Cases Climb, Though Officials Say It’s Not a Third Wave, Wealthy Nations’ Vaccine Spree Obscures Global Covid Misery. Contaminants include NDMA, or N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a probable carcinogen that was found in blood-pressure pills in 2018, leading to recalls. Calls and emails to the manufacturers and retailers requesting comment weren’t returned. cancer, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . DMF is a solvent used during the early stages of drug manufacturing that is supposed to be washed out of the final product. Fifteen brands were represented among the 21 bottles with the highest levels of contamination. Sanitizers could have become contaminated with benzene because it’s sometimes used in alcohol purification, Valisure said. Benzene causes cancer, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Yikes! “These findings are alarming and reveal a serious potential risk to public health,” Valisure said in a petition signed by Chief Executive Officer David Light and other executives. Government watchdog Public Citizen helped lead an effort in the 1970s and 1980s to protect U.S. workers against benzene exposure. Posted: Mar 29, 2021 / 12:13 PM CDT / Updated: Mar 29, 2021 / 12:13 PM CDT. Some two dozen companies sold FDA-approved generic versions of the drug at the time. Once bottles of hand sanitizer hit store shelves, the benzene is supposed to have been distilled away or at least to very low levels . An artnaturals sanitizer contained the most benzene of those sampled, at 16 parts per million. Causes of benzene . Valisure analyzed 260 bottles from 168 brands and found 17% of the samples contained detectable levels of benzene. Medications have also been found to contain carcinogens that either weren’t properly washed out during the manufacturing process or formed later as the medications sat on shelves. Art Naturals Hand Sanitizer. Of 260 hand sanitizer products tested, 44 batches contained benzene with the highest level containing over eight times that interim limit. Walt Disney Co., which airs “The Mandalorian” series in which the Baby Yoda character appears, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Exposure to benzene can cause leukemia. 5. Please provide any additional information about your inquiry. Valisure later detected NDMA in the heartburn drug Zantac and its generic forms as well as metformin, a diabetes treatment, prompting further actions. distribution, and sale of hand sanitizer products containing benzene, a known carcinogen and reproductive toxin, at levels many multiples of the emergency, interim limit set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Hand sanitizer msds sheet sanitizer 80% alcohol. Have a confidential tip for our reporters? Valisure, a Connecticut-based pharmacy, found benzene, a carcinogen linked to certain cancers, in multiple batches of the sanitizers it tested. To see Valisure’s citizen petition filed Wednesday with the FDA, including a list of brands identified with high benzene levels, click here. Valisure’s Light said he originally scoffed at the idea that a dangerous carcinogen like benzene would be in hand cleaners, but he’s now glad that Chief Scientific Officer Kaury Kucera pushed to test for it. The FDA tests hand sanitizers and works with companies, when appropriate, to recall products, said Jeremy Kahn, an agency spokesman. The samples came from the shelves of stores nearby its headquarters and online outlets, Valisure said. The complaint alleges, “The hand sanitizer products with the highest levels of benzene in Valisure’s testing were those marketed by [ArtNaturals]. The online pharmacy and product testing company Valisure analyzed 168 hand sanitizer brands. The FDA encourages retailers to remove products from store shelves and online marketplaces when quality issues arise, he said. Two samples of … ArtNaturals-branded hand sanitizer products tested by Valisure contained benzene at 16.1 and 15.2 ppm—approximately eight times the emergency, interim limit established by the FDA.”. Artnaturals safeguard gel hand sanitizer msds no. Most of the products Valisure found to contain high levels of benzene were made in China or the U.S. Our plant-based hand sanitizer cleanses your hands of dirt and grime with the natural healing power of aloe vera, hydrating jojoba oil, and nourishing Vitamin E. Now you can cleanse and protect your hands with our vegan formula that leaves your hands hydrated, clean and healthy. Exposure to benzene during pregnancy may affect development of the child. M Hand Sanitizer Alcohol Antiseptic topical solution 80% Topical Solution Hand Sanitizer: 75432-001-02: Medek LLC Pure natural ingredients are gentle enough for children's sensitive skin, while free from the harshest synthetic chemicals used on other brands that irritate sensitive skin. List of hand sanitizers with high levels of Benzene Seen on TV. Twenty-one bottles, or 8%, contained benzene above two parts per million, a temporary limit the Food and Drug Administration set for liquid hand sanitizers to ease the supply squeeze. The complaint quotes its website as saying that “ArtNaturals was born out of a desire to free beauty from high prices, toxic chemicals and all-around bad vibes,” and that its products are “CHEMICAL FREE—We use only nourishing, natural ingredients to boost your beauty with no preservatives, parabens, or phthalates to drag you down.”, Furthermore, the company claims that its hand sanitizer is “plant-based” and “natural” as well as “Recommended for Repeated Use” and “Safe for Kids.”. Gel hand sanitizer is also made by adding a powder called a carbomer, often made with benzene, to create viscosity, the pharmacy said. Then you can try the Art Natural hand sanitizer. The FDA is looking more closely at ingredients manufacturers that might use DMF. artnaturals Hand Sanitizing Wipes adhere to strict FDA-approved formulation guidelines and use 75% ethanol alcohol as the active ingredient to help kill germs on hands and skin. Some of these tainted sanitizers were found for sale at Amazon.com Inc. and Target Corp. outlets. So, keep that hand sanitizer for occasions when you can’t get to a sink. The highest levels of benzene were detected in the artnaturals sanitizer products at nearly 16 parts per million, which is 8-times more than the temporary 2 parts per million limit currently set by the FDA in 2020. The pharmacy, Valisure, tested numerous hand sanitizer products for chemicals including benzene, formaldehyde and others, finding higher levels of the cancer-causing benzene … The World Health Organization’s cancer research arm puts it in the highest risk category, on par with asbestos. It may also harm the male reproductive system.”, This is not the image that ArtNaturals seeks to project. If it is possible to have hand sanitizers that don’t have any detectable levels, it is inexcusable that the FDA doesn’t ban any hand sanitizer that contains any detectable level.”. Valisure, an online pharmacy based in New Haven, Connecticut, tested 260 hand sanitizer bottles from 168 brands A total of 44 batches or 17%, had detectable levels of benzene… 4. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ('CDC') states that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that benzene … The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says skin absorption and ingestion are also possible. Since ArtNaturals does not disclose that its hand sanitizers contain benzene, the complaint alleges that it is misbranded or mislabeled. Cryptocurrency’s Value Surges to $45 Billion One Day After Its Debut, Colonial Restarts After Cyberattack But Fuel Curbs to Linger, China Sinovac Shot Seen Highly Effective in Real World Study, Musk Sends Bitcoin Tumbling With Shock U-Turn on Payments, Gasoline Prices Hit $3 as Shortages Grow on Pipeline Outage. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Our scent-free plant-based hand sanitize r cleanses your hands of dirt, grime, and germs with the natural healing power of aloe vera, hydrating jojoba oil, and nourishing VItamin E. Cleanse and protect your hands with our vegan formula that leaves your hands hydrated, healthy, and germ-free. Our plant-based hand sanitizer cleanses your hands of dirt and grime with the natural healing power of aloe vera, hydrating jojoba oil, and nourishing Vitamin E. Now you can cleanse and protect your hands with our vegan formula that leaves your hands hydrated, clean and healthy. The complaint quotes California’s Proposition 65 Fact Sheet for benzene as saying that benzene “can cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Art Naturals provides natural ingredients to its products. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers typically should not contain methanol; they’re usually made with ethanol, or grain alcohol, which is also used in some drinks. Workers in certain chemical industries risk exposure to the material, which is used to make plastics and rubber. That level “can be tolerated for a relatively short period of time,” the FDA said in June. Exhorted by politicians and health officials to wash their hands, consumers quickly exhausted supplies of household names such as Purell and Suave. The highest level of benzene detected among all the products was 16.1 ppm in the ArtNaturals brand, one of the products distributed by Yale. Benzene is the third and most dangerous cancer-causing chemical the pharmacy has helped bring to light in product testing. It isn’t clear how benzene became present in the products. Focusing on hand-sanitizer safety, the FDA in January blocked imports of products from Mexico after many were found to contain methanol, a form of alcohol that’s poisonous to humans. Material safety data sheet hand shake sanitizing foam soap. 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