A WARNING has gone out to county residents to beware of dangerous fake hand sanitiser being sold by unscrupulous rogue traders.
Warwickshire Trading Standards urged people to be vigilant after 51 bottles of potentially harmful sanitiser containing banned substances were seized from a trader in Birmingham last week.
Some contained a substance called glutaraldehyde, which can cause irritation to the skin and to the eyes and throat if inhaled or swallowed. It can be used in cleaning products but has not been approved for human use since 2014.
Other seized bottles did not have labels, with the inconsistency ‘most concerning’ to inspectors.
A Warwickshire Trading Standards spokesperson said: “Current shortages of these products may lead to a rise in the number of unsafe and non-compliant hand sanitisers appearing on sale.
“The claims made by these products may be unsubstantiated, they may simply not work effectively, and could be dangerous.”
They advised residents to only buy from legitimate suppliers, read the label, not purchase homemade or unlabelled sanitisers, and to report the sale of suspect sanitisers to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.
Government guidance states that hand washing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways of combating the virus. Visit www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands for NHS advice on washing hands.
