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Disney was forced to recall its themed hand sanitizers in a surprising turn of events.
Two particular lots of Disney hand sanitizers themed on Mickey Mouse and The Mandalorian have been voluntarily recalled by its producers, Best Brands Consumer Products, as per a statement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA cited that it found benzene in the The Mandalorian hand sanitizer and methanol in the Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer during testing procedures. Both of these products were produced by third-party manufacturers before being exported by Best Brands Consumer Products.
Recall of the Disney hand sanitizers: Explained
The Ethyl Alcohol 68% hand sanitizers from Disney were packaged in 2.11 fl oz bottles and were available in different colors to suit the Mickey Mouse and The Mandalorian themes. Formulated to eliminate germs readily, they were distributed nationwide via three retailers.
The presence of chemicals like benzene and methanol in hand sanitizers can be incredibly harmful to users. The discovery of these toxic chemicals in these Disney sanitizers has considerably reduced their popularity.
Substantial exposure to benzene, a human-carcinogen, through inhalation, oral exposure or skin contact can be deadly. It can lead to a number of life-threatening blood disorders, including but not limited to leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow. The FDA explained that similar side effects may arise from methanol exposure as well.
"Substantial exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, coma, seizures, permanent blindness, permanent damage to the central nervous system, or death."
The federal organization added:
"Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidentally ingest these products, and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk for methanol poisoning."
The FDA's test findings were reported to Best Brands Consumer Products in late February 2022, after which the company followed up with its own internal investigation.
The investigation uncovered that the affected batches of Disney hand sanitizers were produced in April and May 2020. Fortunately, their production had already been paused and the products taken off the market in April 2021 due to "unrelated commercial reasons."
However, Best Brands stated that they had not received any consumer complaints or reports of "adverse events" in relation to these two voluntary recalled lots or any other lots of the Ethyl Alcohol 68% sanitizers.
What is the course of action?
The company's current course of action has been advising its customers to discard any remaining batches they may have of the affected lot of Disney sanitizers.
For the Mickey Mouse hand sanitizers, the corresponding lot is 20D21 which has an expiry date of June 30, 2022. For The Mandalorian hand sanitizers, the corresponding lot is 20E21 and the expiration date is September 30, 2022.
Best Brands has offered to address any refund requests or queries regarding the hand sanitizer recall. The FDA advised consumers to seek medical attention if any health issues arise due to these products. In case of adverse reactions, it must be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.
