UP chemists identify promising methods for detecting methanol in lambanog

SCIENTISTS from the University of the Philippines Diliman-College of Science's Institute of Chemistry (UPD-CS IC) have published a comprehensive analysis of existing techniques for detecting methanol — an industrial chemical highly toxic to humans — in lambanog, a popular traditional alcoholic beverage in the Philippines.

INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL FROM LAMBANOG The study reviews existing scientific methods for detecting methanol in lambanog, a traditional Filipino alcoholic beverage. PHOTO FROM UPD-CS IC/RALFF NESTOR NACOR

Emphasizing that methanol can be dangerous, or even fatal at high concentrations, Kristine Anne Ladines and Cynthia Grace Gregorio aimed to identify detection techniques that are effective, affordable and simple enough for small producers, such as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to use — potentially through portable or paper-based testing kits.

"Lambanog holds cultural and economic significance in the Philippines, but repeated methanol poisoning incidents have harmed its reputation and endangered lives. Many cases of death and hospitalization have been linked to unsafe, unregulated production," Ladines said.

By identifying affordable and practical detection methods, the review can help inform national agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration about which technologies are best suited for widespread use among small producers.

Ladines believes that government and academic institutions can support MSMEs in adopting safer production and testing methods in several ways — including training and education on safe fermentation and distillation practices, providing subsidies or grants for acquiring basic detection equipment or kits, and developing accessible technologies such as low-cost paper-based sensors tailored for field use.

The paper, titled "Finding MeOH: A literature review on methods for the determination of methanol in lambanog and alcoholic beverages," is published in JSFA reports, a food science journal publishing papers on food science and agriculture, with particular emphasis on the agriculture/food interface.

Contact [email protected] for interview requests and other concerns.