FDA has announced its decision to pull several antibacterial soaps from the shelves. The decision came after the research failed to find the antibacterial soaps more useful than the regular soap.
Contrary to the popular belief, the antibacterial soaps do more good than harm. It is now widely known that most of the antibacterial soaps contain triclosan which has now been banned. FDA has given one year to the soap manufacturers to go over the existing formula of their soap and reformulate it.
The ban was first proposed in 2013 when FDA requested the antibacterial soap manufacturers to provide scientific evidence supporting their claim that the germ-fighting soaps were effective and were safe for long-term use.
Most of the companies did not bother to submit their reports to the FDA while the rest floundered to defend their claims. Janet Woodcock who is the director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA announced the agency’s decision to pull the products:
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water. In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”
The FDA ruling does not apply to the alcohol-based soaps or the ones being used in the healthcare settings like the hand sanitizers.
