Canadian approved industrial grade ethanol for hand sanitizer

To better cope with the surge in demand for hand sanitizers caused by the new crown epidemic, Health Canada has expanded the list of currently available raw materials, including industrial-grade ethanol.

Recently, Health Canada announced the provisional update of hand sanitizer production regulations. The relevant authorities explained in a press release: "Health Canada has evaluated the risks and benefits of using industrial grade ethanol-based hand sanitizers and has reached the following conclusion: the use of such products as directed in the short term can prevent the new coronavirus The continued dissemination of this will benefit the public more than harm. "Based on a risk assessment, Health Canada is taking action to ensure that these hand sanitizers are safe to use as soon as possible. To ensure consumer safety, Health Canada has issued specific labeling guidelines for hand sanitizers made with industrial-grade alcohol, that is, "manufacturers who add industrial-grade ethanol to hand sanitizers must provide additional information on product labels to (Consumers) use these products safely ".

According to Statistics Canada, the average sales volume of hand sanitizer in the first week of January 2020 increased by 477% year-on-year, while the average sales volume as of mid-March increased by 639% year-on-year. In addition, according to the data in mid-March, sales of hair care products including shampoo and conditioner increased by nearly 75% year-on-year, and SOAP increased by more than 150% year-on-year.

The increase in sales of hand sanitizer and soap is so obvious because the government previously issued a press release that uses soap to wash hands frequently and lasts for more than 20 seconds is the best way to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. And when you can't wash your hands, (no-wash) hand sanitizer becomes the only solution. The surge in demand for alcohol-based hand sanitizers has led to a shortage of ethanol and other raw materials, which will force producers to look for alternative raw materials.

Canadian officials said that once the US pharmacopoeia and food grade ethanol production can meet the amount of raw materials required for the production of hand sanitizer, this temporary regulation will be cancelled. At the same time, Health Canada will authorize the use of industrial grade ethanol as appropriate. This is because the use of industrial-grade ethanol puts consumers at greater risk. The country ’s official explained: “Compared to the US Pharmacopoeia and Food grade ethanol, industrial grade ethanol contains more impurities. One of them is acetaldehyde, usually we can buy alcohol and food and skin care products This ingredient is found in. Like most health products, if used too often or for longer than the prescribed time, hand sanitizer containing acetaldehyde may be harmful to health. "