Toxic hand sanitisers to be taken off shelves

AGRICULTURE Minister Clarence Rambharat has said that locally-produced hand sanitisers with toxic substances are to be removed from shelves.

He was responding to an urgent question in the Senate on Monday.

In a media release over the weekend she Health Ministry said it had noted reports of locally-produced brands of alcohol-based sanitisers which contained methanol and other toxic substances. The ministry cautioned that these substances posed serious health risks to the public.

Rambharat told the Senate that in accordance with the law and established protocols this issue would be addressed by the Health Ministry's Chemistry Food and Drugs Division and the Bureau of Standards, which falls under the Trade Ministry.

He reported that both bodies have taken steps to have any product that does not comply with appropriate standards, in particular hand sanitisers, removed from shelves.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked whether these products were initially approved by the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division.

Rambharat replied that the mere fact that these products were being removed by the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division and the Bureau of Standards suggested that they did not comply with the standards and had not met them.