The FDA review is part of a long-established bureaucratic process which was recently jumpstarted by a lawsuit against the agency. Regulators are also concerned about possible links between use of antiseptic chemicals and the emergence of so-called superbug bacteria, which are resistant to antibiotics. Hand sanitizers have become nearly ubiquitous over the last 20 years, offered in workplaces, schools, restaurants and other public spaces to reduce the spread of germs. Federal health officials in the U.S. want to know whether hand sanitizers used by millions of Americans work as well as manufacturers claim — and whether there are any health risks to their growing use. Bottles of Purell hand sanitizer, for example, say: "Kills 99.99 per cent of illness-causing germs."

Source: CBC News June 29, 2016 14:57 UTC