- Alcohol-based hand sanitisers which require approval by the South African Bureau of Standards will need to meet a host of new requirements.
- These new standards apply to liquids, gels, foams, and aerosols.
- The minimum allowable concentration of alcohol has been sat at 70%, if ethanol, isopropanol, or n-propanol are the main ingredients.
- Solvents, like acetone, are prohibited ingredients, for fear of toxicity levels which could enter the human body through application on the skin.
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New standards have been set for alcohol-based hand sanitisers in South Africa, with amendments to the minimum concentration of active ingredients and a list of banned solvents. The new regulations have been issued by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.The global use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers has surged in the past year. Medical researchers list the regular washing of hands as one of the most effective non-pharmaceutical interventions in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
National regulations require restaurants, shopping centres and banks to provide hand sanitisation stations for use by clientele.
But the sudden surge demand for effective alcohol-based hand sanitisers has led to some manufacturers falling short of the national standard, making false claims about the concentration of ingredients, and adding counterfeit SABS certification logos to the unverified products.
Source: SABS has a new standard for hand sanitisers – including a list of banned ingredients
