Heypur Added to List of Recalled Hand-Sanitizers Due to ‘Unacceptable Medicinal Ingredient’

A man dispenses hand sanitizer in a shopping mall in the Montreal borough of Pointe-Claire, Canada, on March 14, 2020. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

Health Canada continues to update the list of recalled hand sanitizers that pose potential health risks for consumers.

HeyPur (NPN 80099351), produced by Heyseller Inc., was added to the list of hand sanitizers being recalled from the market on Dec. 11, because it contains an “unacceptable medicinal ingredient, 1-propanol.”

“Frequent use of hand sanitizer containing 1-propanol may cause eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as dry cracking skin, drowsiness and headache,” the agency said in a release.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for hand sanitizer, and Health Canada responded by temporarily permitting the use of “technical-grade ethanol in alcohol-based hand sanitizers.”

Since technical-grade ethanol contains more impurities than pharmaceutical- and food-grade ethanol, Health Canada had requested manufacturers to include several risk statements on their product labels, such as the percentage of technical-grade ethanol contained in the product and the toll-free number 1-866-234-2345 to report adverse reactions to Health Canada.

The agency has been monitoring these products since June to ensure they are safe to use.

The announcement comes after the recall of seven other hand sanitizers in November because they either contain or may contain unauthorized ingredients, or because they were improperly labelled and were missing critical information.

Health Canada published a list of approved hand sanitizers and hard-surface disinfectants. Canadians can identify hand sanitizers or antiseptic/antibacterial skin cleansers that have meet the government’s requirements for sale by the Natural Product Number (NPN) or Drug Identification Number (DIN) labelled on the products.

Hand sanitizers recently recalled in November include the following:

• Concept Manufacturing Ltd - Ethanol Sanitizer 75%; Sani-Soft Sanitizing Skin Cleanser (NPN 80099097).
• PurGerme 4 L format (DIN 80098625).
• The 101 Coast Distillery Hand + Surface Sanitizer (NPN 80098856).
• Bio Life Hand Sanitizer (NPN 80101522).
• Siding 14 Brewing Company - Ethanol Sanitizer 80% (NPN 80098925).
• Daily Shield Hand Sanitizer (NPN 80098979).
• Snake Lake Brewing Company - Ethanol Sanitizer 80% (NPN 80100225).

The full list of recalled hand sanitizers and relevant information can be found here.

Canadians who have used any products on the list and have health concerns are advised to consult local health care professionals.