Bacteria in Hand Sanitizers: Peanut Corporation of America's Sprit Lives On

"US Marshals seize sanitizer for bacteria problems"
The Associate Press (August 2, 2009)

"Officers with the U.S. Marshals Service have seized all skin sanitizers and skin protectants, including ingredients and components, at Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory's facility in Roy, Utah, the Food and Drug Administration said.

"The FDA also warned the public Saturday not to use any Clarcon products because they contain harmful bacteria and are promoted as antimicrobial agents that claim to treat open wounds, damaged skin, and protect against various infectious diseases. No cases have been reported to the FDA.

"Clarcon voluntarily recalled the affected products, marketed under several different brand names, in June 2009, following an FDA inspection that revealed high levels of potentially disease-causing bacteria in the products...."

This article gives a pretty good overview of Clarcon's situation.

I don't mean to be either insensitive or judgmental, but good grief: skin sanitizers containing bacteria; and the company making them ignored the FDA?! It its own way, this is as daft a situation as when the Peanut Corporation of America's boss decided that selling tainted peanuts wasn't any big deal.

Related post:

• "Peanut Peril: Remembering"
  (February 26, 2009)