A product recall has been issued for Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, made by Reliance Medical Ltd, and there’s a good chance that you have a pack of these in your first aid kit.

The UK Health Security Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency warned against the use of certain non-sterile alcohol-free wipes due to possible contamination a few months ago. Since then, further investigation found that while these wipes weren’t contaminated with the specific bacteria flagged in that original notice, they do contain a different strain of Burkholderia. As a result, Reliance Medical Ltd has issued a full product recall covering all batches of product codes 741 and 743.

For most healthy people, exposure to this bacteria is unlikely to cause serious harm. The concern is for vulnerable individuals, including people with cystic fibrosis, for whom this kind of contamination can carry a much higher risk.

What you need to do

Have a quick look through your first aid kit and check for Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, identifiable by product code 741 or 743. If you find any, the recommendation is simple: stop using them and dispose of them.

This recall is specific to the alcohol-free wipes only. Reliwipe’s sterile wound cleansing wipes and sterile saline wipes are not affected and remain perfectly safe to use. That said, it’s always worth giving your first aid kit a check now and then, not just for recalls like this one, but for expired items, missing supplies, and anything that’s seen better days.