Food & Beverage News: Insights, Safety, and Dining Trends
Brazil has recorded 217 cases of methanol poisoning following adulterated alcohol consumption.
The Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde) said 17 cases are confirmed and 200 are under investigation.
The state of São Paulo has been hardest hit with 15 confirmed and 164 possible cases. Paraná has two confirmed and four possible cases.
Another 12 states have reported cases from August to October. They are Acre, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Two deaths were confirmed in São Paulo and 12 remain under investigation. In the past five years, Brazil has reported an average of 23 cases per year.
Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said analysis capacity for suspected cases of methanol poisoning would be expanded with support of the Unicamp laboratory in São Paulo.
Treating the sick
The Ministry of Health has distributed more than 1,000 units of the antidote to states.
The agency has also acquired another antidote called fomepizole from a Japanese company which will be sent to states based on local needs and patient reports.
The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) is also part of the incident response team. One of the agency’s priorities is to ensure availability of the drug fomepizole, which is an antidote for methanol poisoning. Currently, fomepizole is not registered in Brazil.
ANVISA has consulted other regulatory authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada, and the MHRA regarding marketing authorization for the product in their countries.
In July, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) and Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) reported results from an operation on illegal e-commerce of alcoholic beverages.
Operation Ronda Agro Ciber II targeted whiskeys imported without authorization and with signs of counterfeiting. More than 70 brands with irregularities were identified on digital platforms. Inspectors detected evidence of clandestine imports, with products lacking adequate transport and storage controls and counterfeits with the potential presence of toxic substances, such as methanol.
Wider context
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said in recent years five countries in the Americas have reported cases and deaths related to methanol poisoning.
PAHO urged countries to strengthen toxicological and epidemiological surveillance, ensure timely clinical management of cases, reinforce prevention and risk communication for the population, and coordinate with the authorities to investigate and control the circulation of contaminated beverages.
In 2020, Mexico reported an outbreak in the state of Jalisco with 81 confirmed cases, nine hospitalizations, and 27 deaths. In the same year, the Dominican Republic recorded a similar event involving consuming adulterated alcohol, with 322 confirmed cases and 199 deaths.
In 2022, Peru reported an increase in cases with 372 notifications nationwide and 156 deaths, affecting six regions of the country. In 2025, Colombia had 89 cases of methanol poisoning, with one outbreak concentrated in Barranquilla and more cases in other regions.
Initial signs of the poisoning may include nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness. Visual problems like blurred vision may later occur, which can progress to blindness. In advanced stages, neurological involvement such as confusion and seizures as well as multi-organ failure are observed. Symptoms occur between 2 and 48 hours after consuming contaminated drinks.
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