Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) on Saturday warned consumers against the use of Alfa Instant Hand Sanitizer gel, produced by Modern Chemicals Factory, because of the high content of methyl methanol alcohol in it.

The high use of such a content poses risks to the consumer’s health, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said quoting a SFDA statement.

The SFDA said it had analyzed samples of the product from the local market to ensure their safety and compliance with the approved specifications, and it was found that the product contains a high percentage of methyl alcohol.

The SFDA called on consumers not to use the product, return it to the sales outlet where they had purchased it from and get a refund. If the salesman refuses to refund the amount paid, then the consumer can call the Ministry of Commerce's ‘Reports Center’ at 1900.

The authority added that it was taking measures and coordinating with the pertinent authorities to ensure withdrawal of the product from the market, preventing its circulation and taking the necessary regulatory measures against violators.

In case of the occurrence of any side effects or some defect in the product’s quality, the SFDA advised consumers to call it via the Unified Number 19999.

The SFDA said that it analyzed samples of hand sanitizers in the local market to verify how safe they were and whether they were in conformity with the approved standards and specifications. The tests showed that Alfa Instant Hand Sanitizer gel has a high content of methyl methanol alcohol.