US health watchdog cracks down on antibacterial soaps --- The US health regulator has warned that antibacterial chemicals in soaps and body washes may pose health risks. - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a safety review of such products. -- Recent studies indicate an ingredient in such products could scramble hormone levels and boost drug-proof bacteria. -- Manufacturers have until the end of 2014 to submit the results of clinical trials on their products, the FDA said. The new regulations would be finalised in 2016. -- "New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits," Colleen Rogers, an FDA microbiologist, wrote in a statement on Monday. -- Certain ingredients in such products - such as triclosan in liquid soaps and triclocarban in bar soaps - may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, the agency added. -- Such products may also have "unanticipated hormonal effects that are of concern", according to the statement. - More, BBC, at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25405037