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Cofepris warns public of toxic hand sanitizer being sold in Cancun markets

Cancun, Q.R. — A federal sanitary agency has confiscated approximately 300 liters of adulterated hand gel from a market in Cancun, warning residents not to buy these products from street vendors.

Miguel Alejandro Pino Murillo, director de Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios del Estado de Quintana Roo (Cofepris), says the agency has seized around 300 liters of adulterated sanitizer after it was found made with methanol.

He says that the adulterated disinfectant has been withdrawn from vendors in a market in Cancun where they detected, among other irregularities, that the products lacked health certificates and an ingredient list.

He explained that they were able to verify that product contained methanol rather than ethanol.

“The health certificate for such types of disinfectant must be issued by the FDA. Cofepris has confiscated more or less 300 liters being sold as an antibacterial gel, mainly in Cancun,” said Miguel Alejandro Pino Murillo.

He warns people about buying unlabeled products from unknown origins such as social media and along public roadways.

In June, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about several brands of antibacterial gel, most of which were made in Mexico. The FDA listed the brands they found to be harmful saying they “advise consumers not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested.”