Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Health Canada has announced the recall of more hand sanitizers, adding 18 more products to their list because of issues such as containing ingredients not allowed by Health Canada or not being authorized for sale in Canada.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, hand sanitizer sales and production have gone up, and Health Canada has issued recalls for almost 100 products previously.
In this update, posted by Health Canada on Tuesday, the agency stated that hand sanitizers are not permitted to contain “unacceptable grades of ethanol, undeclared impurities at elevated levels, or unauthorized denaturants have not been reviewed for safety or efficacy.”
Denaturant help prevent the ethanol from being consumed for alcohol content.
Two denaturants that are not permitted in hand sanitizers sold in Canada are ethyl acetate and methanol. Ethyl acetate may contribute to dry skin and irritation with frequent use, and methanol can cause more serious “dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and headaches.”
Some of the sanitizers included in this recall that contained ethyl acetate are Aerochem Liquid Hand Cleaner 70% Alcohol, JP Wiser’s Distillery, KeraSpa, Premium Hand Gel Sanitizer and Umbrell (60 mL format).
The recalling company for JP Wiser’s Distillery is Hiram Walk & Sons Distillery, a distillery in Ontario, that started to produce hand sanitizer last year to help out during the pandemic.
They aren’t the first distillery that produced hand sanitizer to end up on the recall list -- two distilleries in B.C. have also had products recalled in previous recalls posted by Health Canada.
Another reason that hand sanitizers can end up on the recall list is if they include undeclared impurities at high levels, such as acetaldehyde and benzene. If found at elevated levels, both can increase the risk of cancer if frequently applied over a long period of time, and benzene can cause “drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and headaches.”
Hand sanitizers including acetaldehyde at elevated levels in this recall are Gigi's Goodbye Germs Hand Sanitizer, Natural Concepts Sanitizing Gel and Peak Processing Solutions - Ethanol sanitizer 80%.
Because of the increase in demand for hand sanitizers, Health Canada did decide to permit hand sanitizers to use technical-grade ethanol, which was previously not intended for hand sanitizer. But those who use this must clearly label the product as containing this, purchase the ethanol from a select list of Health Canada authorized sellers, and include warnings for customers including to not use it on broken skin. Failure to follow this can also result in a recall.
Some of the new products on the recall list are also improperly labelled or not authorized to be sold in Canada.
This is the full list of the hand sanitizers affected in this recall:
A full list of the lot numbers for each product affected by the recall is listed on Health Canada’s website, along with full details for the reason behind the recall of each product.
Health Canada is advising consumers to cease using these products, and has directed the companies to cease producing them.
If you have used a product listed here and have health concerns, Health Canada asks that you direct questions to your health care provider.
The list of previously recalled hand sanitizers can be found here, and a list of hand sanitizers that are authorized by Health Canada can be found here.
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.