86% of Vietnamese spirit (ruou) samples collected from 96 home-distilleries in 12 localities in Dong Thap have been found to contain levels of toxic alcohol.

Authorities in the southern province of Bac Lieu incinerate illicit alcohol. Home-distillers in the Mekong Delta are using industrial alcohol to boost home-made spirits, although this is forbidden.

The dangerous substances in much of the alcohol included industrial alcohols, including methanol, ethanol, fufural and aldehyde.

In two weeks in June alone, 10 people died in the province and six others were hospitalised after drinking toxic spirit.

The level of deadly methanol in 12 samples was 27 to 80 times higher than permitted.

According to the director of the province’s Department of Science and Technology, Nguyen Phuoc Son, only 14 products in the province were guaranteed by quality assurance certificates.

None of the 45 spirit samples tested in the districts of Chau Thanh, Lai Vung, Lap Vo, Tam Nong and Hong Ngu Town reached recognised standards of quality, he said.

“More seriously, only 40 out of thousands of tiny home distilleries in the province have obtained quality assurance certificates,” Son added. “Typically, of 333 wine producers in Thap Muoi District, only three reach the standard of quality.”

“We have seized all the substandard wine discovered from the inspections and served strong warnings on 20 home-distillers found to be violating cooking hygiene and safety regulations.”

Son said he was co-ordinating with the provincial Health Department to carry out another examination on mineral-water producers and ice makers in the province.

“As soon as we have finished, we will punish all violators,” he said.

HCM City Public Health and Hygiene Institute deputy director Nguyen Xuan Mai has warned that although the use of methanol is banned by the Government, many home-distillers use industrial alcohol to give their spirit more “kick”.

VietNamNet/VNS