No Ethyl Oxalate in Finish Jet Dry: The Viral Claim is Misleading

Dish cleaning liquid helps in removing grease, food residues, and stains from utensils and giving a fresh smell after washing. But what if these dish wash detergents pose a threat to human life? 

Recent claims on social media suggest that Finish dish wash contains a very harmful ingredient called Ethyl Oxalate which remains on the dishes even after rinsing. This ingredient is responsible for degradation of epithelial lining of the gut which protects the body from viruses, bacteria and various toxins. 

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. Finish Dish wash liquid does not contain Ethyl Oxalate. The product is safe to use.

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Fact Check-

First, we check the list of all the ingredients used in the Finish Jet Dry dish wash rinse aid. We found that the product contains water, C10-16 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated, Trideceth-3, Sodium Cumene Sulfonate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Polyquaternium-2, CI Acid Blue 9 (Acid Blue 9), Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. 

We did not find Ethyl Oxalate as an ingredient used in Finish Jet Dry products. 

After looking at the video closely, it seems the users might have confused C10-16 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated with Ethyl Oxalate. 

Is C10-16 Alcohol Ethoxylated Propoxylated safe?

According to a research by Human & Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) on Alcohol Ethoxylates in household cleaning products, the organization concluded that the use of AlcoholEthoxylates (AEs) in household detergents is safe and does not pose a concern for consumers. The European Union allows AEs to be marketed as long as they meet biodegradability requirements. Alcohol ethoxylates or related ethoxylated-propoxylated alcohols are approved for standard surfactants in rinse aids. However, most approvals are based on assumptions of minimal residual exposure after dishwashing. AEs are legally permitted and further studies are being conducted about its safety. 

However, the estimated maximum daily exposure was found to be around 6.48 µg per kg body weight per day. Most studies report NOAELs (No Observed Adverse Effect Levels) even over over 100 mg/kg bw/day. 

In contrast, a study conducted by PubMed found that residual rinse aid containing alcohol ethoxylates remained on dishes even after dishwasher use, and at dilutions as low as 1:20,000 (v/v). These levels are said to affect the epithelial barrier and increase inflamation. 

The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) evaluated the safety of Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated propoxylated and found that it does not pose serious health risk when used for normal consumer uses. This means it is low in toxicity and does not cause adverse health issues when used as intended. However, it may cause skin or eye irritation if present in high concentrations or when there is direct exposure.

According to EWG, this ingredient is allowed in products that meet their safety rules. Sometimes it can get a higher risk score if found to be contaminated with harmful substances. Overall, it is found to be of low risk for health problems like cancer, allergies, or developmental issues.

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. Finish Dish wash liquid does not contain Ethyl Oxalate. It contains C10-16 Alcohol Ethoxylated Propoxylated which is low in toxicity and does not cause any adverse health issues.