When Purchasing Hand Sanitizers Online and Offline, Check for 'Quasi-Drug' Label and Confirm Efficacy and Effects
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it had collected 28 hand sanitizer products, essential for COVID-19 prevention, from large marts last March and tested the ethanol content, the main ingredient, and all were found to meet the standards.
The ethanol content indicated on the surveyed products ranged from 54.7 to 70.0 (g/100g), and the test results showed an average of 62.4 (g/100g), which is 94.8% of the indicated amount on average. The surveyed types included 28 hand sanitizer products classified as quasi-drugs in gel, liquid, and tissue forms.
Hand sanitizers are products used for sterilizing and disinfecting hands and skin to prevent infection. They are classified as quasi-drugs and must be registered or approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Meanwhile, some hand cleansing products distributed in the market display phrases such as "sterilization," "antibacterial," "disinfection," and "antiviral" on their containers or advertise them online, which may cause confusion or misunderstanding as quasi-drug hand sanitizers. Therefore, when purchasing hand sanitizers, it is advisable to check for the "quasi-drug" label, efficacy, and other information indicated on the product container or packaging before buying.
Shin Yong-seung, Director of the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "The investigation confirmed that hand sanitizers distributed as quasi-drugs contain the effective ingredient ethanol in the proper amount," and added, "If you purchase hand sanitizers for the purpose of disinfection, please carefully check the product type and the indicated effective ingredients and purchase hand sanitizers classified as quasi-drugs."
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