Irish drinks industry produces hand sanitizer gel

SuperValu is donating over one million hand sanitisers to St. Vincent de Paul and to those living Direct Provision Centres in Ireland with the support of the Irish Refugee Council and Doras

Drinks Ireland director Patricia Callan says the drinks industry is "committed to doing what we can to help out” in the fight against Covid-19

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Distilleries around the country have committed to joining the fight against the spread of Covid-19, responding to the huge demand for alcohol-based hand-sanitizer gel.

In West Cork, Clonakilty Distillery is creating sanitizers with an alcohol content of 63% ABV and went into production immediately, with bottles and equipment in place. The first batch of 5,000 bottles will be ready this week. It will be offered for free to local charities and the company will supply the rest at cost, at first to the local community.

Also in Cork, Irish Distillers has said that it is creating large scale quantities of alcohol for free to manufacture hand sanitizer gel, in partnership with Cork firm Mervue Laboratories which will provide it to the Health Service Executive

In Leitrim, The Shed Distillery has announced it will distribute emergency alcohol and surface cleaner across the region. It will supply alcohol to Ovelle Pharmaceuticals, which will create 12,500 bottles of hand sanitizer gel with last week’s batch.

A number of other distilleries and drinks producers across the country are also getting geared up to manufacture hand sanitizer gel, once they have complied with the necessary regulations and have sourced the other components.

Separately, Guinness Ireland has pledged €1.5 million to support Irish bar staff and communities affected by Covid-19.

Patricia Callan, director of Drinks Ireland, which represents drinks producers and suppliers around the country has praised the industry’s co-ordinated response.

“At such an uncertain and challenging time,” said Callan, “it’s encouraging to see the drinks industry doing what it can in the effort to tackle Covid-19. This fight will require government, the health and public sector, industry and society all working together on a coordinated response. As an industry, we are committed to doing what we can to help out.”

Read More: alcohol coronavirus Covid-19 hand sanitizer

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