(NEXSTAR) — American Screening LLC is voluntarily recalling 153,336 units of hand sanitizer that are packaged in containers that look like water bottles and pose a risk of consumption.
The product, which contains 70% ethyl alcohol gel, comes in 8-ounce bottles and is intended to be used topically to help reduce bacteria on the skin when soap and water are unavailable, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Ingesting hand sanitizer, which is intended for topical use, could potentially result in alcohol toxicity,” the FDA said.
Symptoms may include a lack of coordination, slowed or slurred speech, drowsiness, or coma, which can be fatal. Ingestion can also affect the brain and cause impairment when driving or operating heavy machinery.
The FDA also warns that alcohol consumption may cause people with an addiction to relapse or to seek to consume ethanol-based hand sanitizers as a substitute.
The affected products have the expiration dates of May 21, 2022, and May 24, 2022, for black-capped bottles. Affected products with clear-capped bottles have no expiration dates.
The product has a small water bottle shape with a black flip-top cap or clear cap with a blue pouring spout, the FDA said. It also has the UPC code 8 4005051579 2. It was sold online nationwide.
Though the American Screening LLC has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall, the Shreveport, Louisiana, company is notifying its distributors and customers and urging them to stop using the product and throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.
Consumers who have ingested the hand sanitizer should contact their healthcare provider if they experience any problems.
Consumers with questions about the recall can e-mail wlaskowski@americanscreeningcorp.com or call 318-606-6037 Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm CST.