FDA Classifies Intercon Hand Soap Recall as Class II
The FDA classified as Class II a recall of six Intercon hand soaps sold across 15 states, after two were linked to antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas and Serratia bacteria.
Updated
The takeaway
- The FDA classified the Intercon Chemical Company hand soap recall as Class II, meaning exposure could cause temporary or reversible health effects.
- Six hand soaps distributed across 15 states were recalled for potential bacterial contamination; two were linked to antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas and Serratia strains.
- The FDA warns immunocompromised individuals could develop blood infections, pneumonia, UTIs, or bone or heart infections from exposure.
The FDA has classified as Class II a recall of six hand soaps made by St. Louis-based Intercon Chemical Company, meaning exposure could cause temporary or reversible health effects. The products were distributed across 15 states after the company discovered potential bacterial contamination.
Two of the six products — Intercon Foaming Pear Hand Soap With Aloe and Clearly Better by Intercon Foaming Pear Hand Soap With Aloe — have been specifically linked to several strains of Pseudomonas and Serratia bacteria. Both bacteria are, according to NewBeauty's report, "notoriously resistant to antibiotics." The remaining four products were recalled more broadly for "potential bacterial contamination."
For consumers with healthy immune systems, the risk may be limited. The FDA warns, however, that immunocompromised individuals could face significant complications from exposure, including blood infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bone or heart infections.
The Affected Products
The full list of recalled items:
- Intercon Foaming Pear Hand Soap With Aloe (28.7 fl. oz.)
- Clearly Better by Intercon Foaming Pear Hand Soap With Aloe (34 fl. oz.)
- Summit 150 Foaming Hand Soap (28.7 fl. oz.)
- Vestis Foaming Hand Soap, Fresh Pear Scent (33.8 fl. oz.)
- Laura Lynn Honey Apple Crisp Liquid Hand Soap (8 fl. oz.)
- Laura Lynn Foaming Pear Scent Hand Soap With Moisturizers (7.5 fl. oz.)
What Consumers Should Do
Consumers who own one of these products can search Intercon's name or their product's recall number on the FDA's website to confirm whether their bottle is impacted. The FDA's listing includes the specific lot codes and best-by dates involved. Anyone holding an affected bottle should stop using it immediately. Anyone experiencing symptoms of infection should contact a doctor.
The Class II classification signals the FDA's assessment that the health risk is serious enough to warrant attention but not severe enough to require a Class I designation, which is reserved for situations likely to cause serious harm or death. For retailers and distributors across the 15 affected states, the recall will require checks of existing inventory, since the products span multiple private labels — Intercon, Clearly Better, Summit, Vestis and Laura Lynn — rather than a single brand line. That breadth makes point-of-sale identification harder and increases the chance that contaminated bottles remain in commercial washrooms and household sinks.
Source: NewBeauty; Source: fda.gov
Olivia Hart
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Senior reporter covering business strategy at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
