Some hand sanitisers made available to the public free of charge in dispensers were found to be intended for surface cleaning Shutterstock

Some hand sanitisers made available to the public free of charge in dispensers were found to be intended for surface cleaning Shutterstock

Officers of the chemicals and products unit of the environment administration carried out 29 checks on hand disinfectants since March 2020, the environment department said on Thursday responding to a question from Delano.

“During these checks, the agents identified 133 hand disinfectant products on sale in shops in Luxembourg. In the end, only 26 of the 133 products complied fully with the legislation in force,” they said.

Among the non-conformities identified were a lack of the required marketing authorisation, incorrect labelling or misuse of these products.

Examples of non-compliance in terms of labelling were a lack of hazard pictograms on hand sanitiser bottles, while in one case of misuse a disinfectant for cleaning surfaces had been made available to customers to disinfect hands in a dispenser at the entrance to the shop.

Marketing authorisation refers to permits issued to products designed to destroy, control or prevent the effects of harmful organisms, known as biocidal products. Manufacturers and importers must notify the Luxembourg authorities in order to market these products in the grand duchy. A Delano investigation found that of a basket of 10 hand sanitisers purchased randomly in Luxembourg, only two could be found on the biocidal notified list.