While this report from the FDA experts doesn't explicitly point the finger at Schweppes, it is nonetheless thrust into the limelight as a well-known antibacterial soap.
What was the basis for the FDA experts' conclusion? How does Schweppes explain the efficacy it has been touting?
The Advisory Committee on Over-the-Counter Drugs (FDA)
Antibacterial cleansers are not necessarily better than regular soap
FDA experts found that there were no definitive medical reports that showed that a particular antimicrobial product reduced the likelihood of a bacterial infection. "There is insufficient evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective than regular soaps," the committee was told. Alison Aiello, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, cited reports from the U.S. and Pakistan, saying, "Both antibacterial soap and regular soap reduce the likelihood of infections, but you can't say which one is more effective than the other."
In October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received a report on the findings from its subcommittee, the Over-the-Counter Drugs Advisory Committee. This 12-member advisory committee that regulates antibacterial and antiseptic cleansers found, based on expert research, that antibacterial-type cleansers are not more effective at preventing bacterial infections than ordinary soap and water, and they urged the FDA to conduct a study of antibacterial soaps and similar products to weigh their pros and cons. Yesterday evening, the reporter contacted the committee's executive secretary general Darrell Lyon, he told the morning paper reporter, October 20, the over-the-counter drug advisory committee has held a relevant meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at the same time, he provided the reporter nearly 400 pages of the meeting.
It is understood that while the FDA is not bound by the decisions of this committee, the FDA often listens to the recommendations of this committee. As the agency that ensures the safety of food, cosmetics, drugs, biologics, medical devices, and radiological products manufactured or imported into the United States, the FDA has the authority to make the outer packaging of these cleaners with the relevant warning symbols or to limit the number of them produced and sold. At this point, however, it does not appear that the FDA intends to do so.
Dr. Stewart Levy (president of the American Consortium for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics)
Households should use antimicrobial products sparingly
At the same time, FDA officials have expressed concern about whether antimicrobial products enhance bacterial resistance to drugs. Experts suggest that households should use fewer or even minimize the use of antibacterial-based cleaners, including antibacterial soaps.
"Bacteria are not going to be destroyed." Dr. Stewart Levy, president of the Consortium for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, said, "Any attempt to kill off bacteria in the home is futile." He believes that overuse of antibiotics is the main reason for making bacteria more resistant. He recommends that families use antibacterial products sparingly.
Last week, the FDA has forcibly outlawed a U.S. antibiotic because it is suspected of potentially increasing bacterial resistance in humans. A panel of FDA experts is currently discussing other incidents, such as whether the synthetic chemicals in some soaps could be harmful to the environment. Also, they will investigate whether home use of antibacterial products could make the environment too clean for children, who also need to be exposed to a certain amount of bacteria to strengthen their immune systems.
Professor Yuan Qia (researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
Prolonged exposure to low-dose antimicrobials is anti-harmful
"How to use antimicrobial products correctly has always been controversial in Chinese academic circles." Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention researcher Yuan Qia? Professor recently said in an interview with the media, for the daily use of antibacterial soap and other products, there are two views in the medical experts: one is to advocate the long-term proper use of antibacterial soap and other hygiene products, the other part of the experts believe that frequent exposure to low-dose antibacterial agents, easy to make certain bacteria resistant to antibacterial agents, in turn, is not conducive to the prevention and treatment of disease.
Yuan Qia also pointed out that, to be sure, products containing antimicrobial agents can only inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria, and can not completely kill bacteria or viruses, "antimicrobial" is not the same as "sterilization".
It is reported that the use of running water to wash hands can reduce the hands of about 80% of the bacteria, if at the same time the use of antimicrobial products, can be more removed from the skin bacteria, can reduce some intestinal infectious diseases. In accordance with the views of most medical experts, the average person does not need to use antibacterial soap and other products every day in daily life. Antibacterial products do not completely and thoroughly kill the microorganisms on the surface of the skin, only temporary inhibition.
Yuan Qia emphasized that people wash their hands with antibacterial soap when exposed to low doses of antimicrobial agents, long-term exposure is prone to produce resistant strains of bacteria, and sometimes even growth and reproduction, harmful to human health. Wash your hands diligently in your daily life, whether or not you use antibacterial soap and other products, are just as capable of reducing the chances of illness entering through the mouth. "As long as the use of ordinary fertilizer (scented) soap, coupled with running water to wash can wash away 80% to 90% of the bacteria on the skin, in order to protect the health of the family, whether or not to use antibacterial soap is not important."
Wang Hong (P&G China Headquarters, External Affairs)
Expert opinion does not represent a conclusion
"Antibacterial soap can provide additional protection for the skin against the spread of bacteria, both in the healthcare environment and in daily life." In response to the FDA expert's opinion, Wang Hong of the External Affairs Department at P&G's China headquarters, the producer of Schweppes' antibacterial soap, was clearly confident in her product in an interview with the Morning Post. She said, "There is a big difference in efficacy between antibacterial soap and ordinary soap."
She said that antibacterial products, depending on the formula, can kill or inhibit bacteria that can cause odor, skin diseases, food poisoning and intestinal diseases and other common communicable diseases, thus reducing the possibility of suffering from certain communicable diseases.
In response to the experts, "the effectiveness of antibacterial soap is not claimed to be so God", Wang Hong does not agree: "ordinary soap bath, is a mechanical sterilization, and can not provide bacteriostatic effect, which has been confirmed by experiments. And, the views of these experts does not represent the final conclusion of the FDA."
Although the FDA experts said that they can not say which antibacterial soap and general soap than which is more effective, but Wang Hong affirmed that, according to the Ministry of Health Clinical Inspection Center completed the 24-hour residual effect of the Schmidt's soap experiments show that: the Schmidt's soap is able to provide the skin from the Staphylococcus aureus for up to 24 hours of protection. The Ministry of Health Clinical Laboratory Center has also conducted soap hand washing experiments of health care workers, confirming the antimicrobial efficacy of Schmidt's products.