The Food and Drug Administration recently warned the maker of Purell hand sanitizers to to stop claiming its products can prevent people from catching the flu, Ebola virus, the MRSA superbug, and norovirus.
In a notice dated January 17, the F.D.A. said that Purell manufacturer Gojo’s false claims that its hand sanitizers could reduce the potential for infection or prevent illnesses violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
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The agency said it was reclassifying Purell as an unapproved drug, rather than an over-the-counter product. According to the New York Times:
The F.D.A. also said it was not aware of any adequate and well-controlled studies to back claims that killing or decreasing the number of bacteria or viruses on the skin by a certain degree produced a corresponding reduction in infection or disease caused by such bacteria or viruses.
The agency took particular issue with claims on the company’s websites and social media accounts that said, “Purell Products are proven to reduce absenteeism” and Purell “kills more than 99.99 percent of the most common germs that may cause illness in a healthcare setting, including MRSA,” according to the warning letter.
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The F.D.A. also reprimanded Gojo’s “Frequently Asked Questions,” which it said implied that because Purell contains ethyl alcohol (Gojo’s website says that its hand sanitizers are 70 percent ethyl alcohol) it might be effective against viruses like influenza, norovirus, and Ebola.
One passage in the agency’s warning letter said:
“Are Purell hand sanitizer products effective against the flu? The F.D.A. does not allow hand sanitizer brands to make viral claims, but from a scientific perspective, influenza is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses in general are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention.”
The current recommendation on the C.D.C.’s website says that washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the spread of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, the agency promotes using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
