DOH and FDA warned the public about drinking unregistered lambanog this Christmas.
The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had recently warned the public about drinking unregistered “lambanog” or coconut wine this Christmas as this could cause methanol poisoning.
In a report on GMA Network’s “24 Oras” on Wednesday, some drums of coconut wine displayed in a store can be seen in Liliw, Laguna.
The said store offered “free taste” so that the consumer could decide if they would buy the said product. On the other hand, the seller was confident that they made their coconut wine well and clean.
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According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the public shouldn’t buy unregistered coconut wine products.
Since lambanog was known as the “Philippine Vodka”, Duque also said that the public should avoid drinking alcoholic drinks as these drinks didn’t bring any good to the person’s body.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration said that the list of safe lambanog brands can be seen on the FDA website.
“Makikita niyo po sa website. Ibig sabihin nito, na-check natin ‘yung process nila na talagang ang napo-produce niya ay walang lason. Ang ingredients na ginagamit po nila ay talagang hindi magpo-produce ng methanol na nakakalason at nakakamatay. At hindi naman po mahal din itong mga lambanog na registered sa FDA,” FDA Director-General Dr. Eric Domingo said.
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It was last November 2018 when nine people died in Calamba and Santa Rosa in Laguna after being allegedly poisoned by a coconut wine, which was later found to have a high methanol content.
A few days later, four people died and 14 others were hospitalized in Quezon City because of lambanog.
In December 2019, over 20 people died in Laguna and Quezon due to methanol poisoning after drinking coconut wine.
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