from wired.com: The FDA has announced that it is formally reconsidering “antibacterial” soaps and other personal-care products, charging that the antibacterial ingredients confer no benefit over regular soap and water while carrying extra risks. In a draft rule that will be published Tuesday in the Federal Register, the agency calls for manufacturers of consumer antibacterial products to begin providing data that shows the ingredients are both safe for daily use, and also more effective than plain soap and water. Deep in the 137-page rule, it also raises the issue that’s most interesting to me: whether the routine use of these products causes bacteria to develop resistance against the active ingredients, and against antibiotics as an unintended side effect… For more, here’s the full rule in the Federal Register, the FDA’s press release, and an FDA explainer written in consumer-friendly language.  (Plus a story by MedPage Today, whose reporter participated in a press briefing.) The re-examination of triclosan is shared with the Environmental Protection Agency; its explainer is here.