Wednesday, December 18, 2013

FDA declares war on anti microbial soap

Just what the manufacturers need, an FDA order to run a bunch of expensive tests to prove that the anti microbial chemicals are safe in hand soap.  Fairer would be to require the FDA to run some tests proving the stuff is harmful.  The soaps have been on the market for 30 years or more and in all that time nobody has been hurt enough to sue. 
   I'm neutral on this one, I figure no germ can stand up to plain old soap or detergent and hot water.  So I don't buy anti microbial things.  I'm not deep enough into chemistry to really know one way or the other.  But I have noticed the tendency to label ordinary things hazardous material.  Even solid brass castings.  So I'm a little suspicious of the new born discovery of hazards lurking in something that's been on the market for years and years. 

2 comments:

Evan said...

Hi Dave,

The soap itself isn't harmful to humans directly. Since 1998 the FDA and others have been researching it and there are several issues with Triclosan (the drug they put in the soap)

It doesn't work better than regular old soap at killing viruses/bacteria

It is contributing to creating new drug resistant bacteria. Triclosan is used in hospitals after working with patients who have MSRA - now the efficacy in Tricolsan vs MSRA is decreasing.

It also decomposes to dioxin.

Honestly the FDA shouldn't have allowed tricolsan and similar anti-bacterials into soaps in the first place.

Plain old soap and water work perfectly fine.

Dstarr said...

Interesting. The news accounts I have seen talk about some strange effect on the body's hormone balance. No talk about increasing drug resistance in germs. The articles were all non technical, so you can believe was much as you like.
Anyhow, I will stick with plain old hand soap. It's worked well for me for a long long time.
BTW, 1998 was 15 years ago. Any decent agency would be able to finish the paperwork given 15 years.