Anti-bacterial soaps may be no better at killing germs than the regular stuff

by Ben Reilly Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:09 pm

Antibacterial soaps don’t seem to add any germ-killing power to plain old soap and water and in fact may have some health risks, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

So the agency is proposing a new rule that would force soap makers to prove that products with added antibacterial ingredients such as triclosan are safe and effective — something certain to be highly controversial.

They'll have a year to prove it, the FDA says. And they're encouraging public comment, too.

"To put it simply, we need to collect additional information from the companies that make these products so that consumers can be confident about their effectiveness and about their safety," the FDA's Dr. Sandra Kweder told reporters in a telephone briefing.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/think-twice-about-antibacterial-soap-fda-says-2D11744235

by Ben Reilly Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:12 pm

Should have added, the manufacturers are going to have to show that the additive triclosan is safe, while the Natural Resources Defence Council has argued that it's unsafe and can cause hormonal shifts.

by eddie Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:46 pm

Never believed in them anyway!
If your hands are clean, they're clean! Simple as that!

by Lurker Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:10 am

It's difficult to find hand soap or body soap that is not antibacterial. We are making the bacteria stronger and smarter. We are not killing it.

by Lurker Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:11 am

Welcome Fayla....

by Guest Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:24 pm

this has been known for years, another example of govts NOT dealing with crafty advertising

by Guest Sun Jan 05, 2014 11:06 pm

How ever did we survive before anti-bacterial soaps?

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Anti-bacterial soaps may be no better at killing germs than the regular stuff

Anti-bacterial soaps may be no better at killing germs than the regular stuff

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Re: Anti-bacterial soaps may be no better at killing germs than the regular stuff

Re: Anti-bacterial soaps may be no better at killing germs than the regular stuff