Scientists from the University of the Philippines-Diliman are aiming to identify low-cost, effective methods for detecting methanol in lambanog, in an effort to make safety testing more accessible for small-scale producers.

Researchers Kristine Anne Ladines and Dr. Cynthia Grace Gregorio of the UP College of Science’s Institute of Chemistry reviewed existing techniques to find solutions that are not only effective but also simple and affordable enough for use by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Their goal: enable safer lambanog production through portable or paper-based methanol 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,” Ms. Ladines said. “Given these serious public health risks, we were driven to help find solutions that empower small producers to test and ensure the safety of their products.”

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.

“It can guide regulatory policies to mandate methanol testing using appropriate tools, helping ensure consumer safety while supporting industry compliance,” Ms. Ladines added.

She 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.

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