She said that “reformulating would mean that companies would have to remove the antibacterial active ingredient, and relabeling would mean removal of the antibacterial claim from the product’s label,” she said.
The proposed rule does not require that these soaps be taken off the market now. The agency has been considering the issue since 2005 and this is not something that is going to happen immediately, Kweder said. She added that the agency hopes to issue its final rule by September 2016
In the meantime, people should continue to be diligent about washing their hands, particularly at this time of year to help protect against the spread of colds and flu. If soap and water aren’t available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol should be used, the FDA said.