A recent study by Valisure detected unacceptable levels of human carcinogen benzene in 21 off-brand hand sanitizers that entered the market during the height of the pandemic and remain in the marketplace today. Valisure found that PURELL® Hand Sanitizer met the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance for impurities with no detectable levels of benzene.
Valisure analyzed 260 hand sanitizer bottles from 168 brands. Twenty-one bottles, or 8%, contained benzene above 2 parts per million (ppm), a limit that the FDA set for hand sanitizers. Valisure released its findings on March 24 and has petitioned the FDA to, in part, immediately recall the contaminated products and update its guidance.
Our team of regulatory and safety experts carefully evaluate our formulas and rigorously test both the alcohol and the finished PURELL® Hand Sanitizer to ensure it meets all FDA drug product quality requirements. Quality standards and specifications for alcohol used in pharmaceuticals like hand sanitizers are set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and enforced by the FDA. Our formulation scientists have strict requirements for our ingredients and select them specifically so that the formulation is perfectly balanced for safety, efficacy, sustainability, and skin health – all reasons why the PURELL® brand is the most trusted in hospitals.
GOJO is committed to educating businesses about the public health risks of purchasing “off-brand” hand sanitizer or refilling name-brand hand sanitizer bottles with FDA-banned products. These practices put public health and safety at risk.
Today, GOJO is producing and shipping 300% (3X) more PURELL® Hand Sanitizer globally than in 2019, and there is ample inventory and production capability to meet full market demand.