Personal Injury Law

Contaminated Skin Sanitizers Seized By U.S. Marshals

By Chrissie Cole

The U.S. Marshal Service seized all skin sanitizers and skin protectants, including components and ingredients, from Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory in Roy, Utah, according to the U.S. Food and drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA warns consumers not to use any Clarcon products because they contain harmful bacteria. The recalled products should be safely discarded in the trash.

So far, there have been no reported infections from using Clarcon products.

After an FDA inspection in June revealed high levels of potentially disease-causing bacteria in the products, which are marketed under a variety of brand names, Clarcon voluntarily recalled the affected products. Serious violations of the FDA's regulations, including poor practices that led to the contamination, were also revealed during the inspection.

U.S. Marshals at the request of the FDA, recently seized the products, along with their ingredients, after the company refused to destroy them despite tests showing they were toxic. By preventing these products from entering the marketplace, the agency is protecting the public, said the FDA.

Clarcon has produced and distributed more than 800,000 bottles of skin sanitizers and skin protectants since 2007.

The following Clarcon Products are affected by the recall and should be discarded:

Citrushield Lotion
Dermasentials DermaBarrier
Dermassentials by Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer
Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment
Skin Shield Restaurant
Skin Shield Industrial
Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion
Total Skin Care Beauty
Total Skin Care Work

Contamination of these products is thought to be particularly problematic because they are marketed to treat open wounds, damaged skin, and to protect against serious diseases. Some infections may require medical or surgical attention and may result in permanent damage, according to the FDA.

More information can be found on the FDA Web site. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on August 03, 2009 (boomark / email).