Filipino drinkers would know that
there are more alcoholic drinks than are manufactured by the big-name breweries
in the country and from abroad. There is of course the traditional production
of palm wine or “tuba,” as well as other fermented drinks like the Ilocano “basi.”
These days there also exist microbreweries that produce limited amounts of
alcohol beverages for local distribution, usually stocked in bars found in
major metropolitan areas. While these microbreweries try to hew to standards
used by the bigger brewing companies, sometimes there are oversights that might
lead to trouble, such as what the Cosmic Carabao gin is being subjected to now.
CNN Philippines reports that the Philippine Food and Drug
Administration had given orders for Cosmic Carabao, a craft gin brewed by the
Juan Brew microbrewery, to be confiscated following the death and serious condition
of two drinkers. The confiscation order was made this Tuesday, July 9, after
tests done by the FDA on collected samples of Cosmic Carabao gin revealed high
amounts of methanol. An alcoholic chemical of similar odor to ethanol (found in
drinking alcohol) but with more harmfully toxic effects on the body, methanol
of the content levels found in the FDA test has been hypothesized by the
administration as being deliberately added.
A statement concerning the
potentially toxic consequences of drinking Cosmic Carabao was released by the
FDA, which warns the public on “the consumption of the implicated product as
this is currently unregistered and has been confirmed to contain a high level
of methanol." The steps undertaken by the agency began last month, when in
June two women who were drinking the craft gin began vomiting and fainted. Both
were rushed to the hospital but one eventually died while the other was left in
a coma.
Juan Brew, the local microbrewery
that manufactures the Cosmic Carabao, now stands to receive a heavy fine from
the FDA and even a potential revocation of license, particularly since the craft
gin was being sold without even an approved product registration. The range of
penalties and liabilities could go all the way to even the restaurants and
other businesses with Cosmic Carabao on stock. Each 750 ml bottle of the drink
is priced by Juan Brew at P630. For now, the only statement by Juan Brew on the
controversy was a July 3 Facebook entry that read, "We would like to
emphasize that our company is dedicated to the highest standard in processing
of our products and puts the health of our consumers above all."
Methanol poisoning can cause
heavy drowsiness, pain in the abdomen, vomiting and vision impairment. Severe
symptoms can lead to convulsions and, in the case of the reported women victims,
coma and death from respiratory failure.
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