January 24, 2020

Methanol Poisoning: A Food Safety Concern

The Laguna and Quezon provinces had seen an outbreak of methanol poisoning on Christmas celebration last year. At least 14 people have died and nearly 500 people were hospitalized after drinking lambanog (traditional Filipino distilled coconut wine) with high methanol content. The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed this and urged the public to be wary on purchasing and consuming lambanog and other alcoholic beverages. These products should have proper labels and be registered with the FDA.