MANILA – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public against the purchase and use an alcohol disinfectant after finding it contained methanol.

In an advisory signed December 11 but was only publicized Monday, the FDA said Clins Up's alcohol product misbranded itself when it claimed to have 70 percent ethanol content when it only had 17.2 percent.

Drug regulators also found the product positive for methanol.

"Acute or chronic exposure of humans to methanol by inhalation or ingestion may result in visual disturbances, such as blurred or dimness of vision, leading to blindness, and neurological damage, specifically permanent motor dysfunction. Skin contact to methanol can also produce mild or severe dermatitis to humans," the FDA said in their advisory.

Establishments were warned against distributing and selling the product.

Aside from the said alcohol product, the FDA likewise banned the sale and use of several Chinese medicines that did not go through their registration process.

These include:

1. OTC Qumixin Rugao
2. PIC/S GMP NK Pidelon Cream “N.K.” 20 Gm
3. OTC Qingkailing Jiaonang Capsule 24’s
4. OTC Beidougen Jiaonang Capsule 20’s
5. Armadillo Antipyretic Pills 48’s
6. Hieng Hok® Quick Rheumatism Capsule Tiger Wang Biaod 20’s
7. Qianbai Biyan Pian Tablets 100’s

The FDA warned the public against buying and using the said products because they could not guarantee its safety.

- With reports from Jauhn Villaruel, ABS-CBN News