disinfected ads –
The FDA said it was not aware of any data to support the company claims.
: am UTC
The maker of Purell hand sanitizers is washing away some unproven marketing claims that its products reduce school absenteeism and prevent infections from germs such as Ebola, norovirus, flu, and certain drug-resistant infections.
The marketing disinfection comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter
The FDA also noted that it is “unaware of any adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in the published literature that support” GOJO’s claims.
The agency noted that the dubious marketing claims appeared in a variety of places on GOJO’s product websites, including FAQ pages, blogs , and social media pages. Among the questionable claims are that Purell sanitizer:
- can reduce student absenteeism by up to 99% … Additionally, teachers who follow this program also experience a % reduction of absenteeism. ” “May be effective against viruses such as the Ebola virus, norovirus, and influenza. While alcohol-based sanitizers have been shown to effectively kill many germs, that finding is different from data indicating that sanitizer use reduces infections and the spread of disease.
On an FAQ page , GOJO also says that “the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention. “
But it should be noted that the WHO
In a statement, GOJO’s corporate communications senior director, Samantha Williams, said:
GOJO took immediate action to respond to FDA claim requirements after receiving a warning letter from the agency on January 32. The letter was related to some of our marketing around Purell Hand Sanitizer on GOJO.com and through our social media platforms.
It is important to emphasize that the FDA letter was not related to the safety or quality of our products, or our manufacturing processes.
Some of the problematic statements on GOJO’s sites have since been removed, though the company still says that the WHO and CDC recommends hand sanitizer without mentioning hand washing. Williams’ statement went on to say that GOJO has “begun updating relevant website and other digital content as directed by the FDA and are taking steps to prevent a recurrence.”
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