A local authority is warning shoppers to be wary of ‘fake’ hand sanitiser amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Fife Council’s Trading Standards service highlighted that due to the recent shortages a number of posts on social media are offering sanitiser in plain or unmarked bottles, and “sometimes at inflated prices”.
As hand sanitiser is legally classed as a cosmetic product it is subject to a number of stringent ingredients testing and labelling requirements.
The council is warning potential buyers that they could suffer allergic reactions if they are unaware of all the ingredients.
A spokesperson said: “So we would therefore urge the public not to buy any cosmetic products in unlabelled or plain bottles/containers as you will have no idea of the contents.”
Traders are also being warned not to decant from large bottles into unlabelled smaller ones.
The spokesperson added: “Retailers should be mindful that many customers cannot afford such highly inflated prices and so should carefully consider their trading practices at this difficult time.”
