DAFM on biocides: 'There are products on the market not properly registered'

Further to its statement on October 23, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has reminded people that only products listed on the department’s Biocidal Product Register may be placed on the market in Ireland.

These products should have a clearly visible PCS or IE-BPA or EU number on the label. More than 450 hand sanitising products are listed on the register of approved products.

In a statement from the department this evening (Thursday, October 29), it said it has been liaising with other departments, including the HSE and the Department of Education, to ensure that only sanitiser products included on the register are being used across the public service.

The statement continued:

“Suppliers of biocidal products are legally required to ensure that their products are safe and effective. It has now become clear that there are some products on the market that are not properly registered.

Where issues in relation to registration arise, the department is taking appropriate action, on a precautionary basis.

“Subject to adherence to the usual safety guidelines in relation to products of this nature, and with the exception of products in the Virapro range, which have already been the subject of a recall, there is no reason to believe that the failure to register a product gives rise of itself to specific concerns in relation to safety or efficacy.”

For this reason, the department is not requiring members of the public to dispose of product already in their possession.

People are, however, advised to ensure that future purchases bear one of the numbers referred to above.

The department said it is continuing to increase its testing of product on the market to provide reassurance in relation to compliance with approved product specifications.

“Suppliers of products that are not correctly registered are being required to withdraw product from sale until registration is regularised and the product is relabelled,” the statement concluded.

Hand sanitiser brand removed from biocidal register by department

On October 23, the department issued a statement, saying that it removed the ViraPro hand sanitiser brand from the Biocidal Product Register.

The product has been found to have “possible health concerns”, and members of the public are advised to “stop using this sanitiser with immediate effect”.

Tests by the department show that some of the sanitiser on sale does not comply with regulations governing the content and efficacy of such products.

Some of the product contains methanol rather than ethanol, the department said. Prolonged use of such sanitiser may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and headaches.