DOST devises test kit for safe ‘lambanog’

HELP FROMTHE LAB The native alcoholic drink known as “lambanog” now comes in various flavors, but in recent years its makers and sellers have reeled from a serious commercial blow after mass poisonings claimed the lives of dozens of drinkers. A new safety tool developed by the Department of Science and Technology (right) can now help the industry ensure product quality. —PHOTOS FROM CALABARZON PNP AND DOST

MANILA, Philippines — There’s a new test kit coming out soon — not for the coronavirus but for something intoxicating but potentially life-threatening.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in collaboration with the Cavite State University (CvSU), has developed an affordable field test kit for makers of “lambanog,” the native liquor derived from the sap of unopened coconut flowers.

The DOST project was mainly prompted by mass poisoning incidents in 2018 and 2019 that left more than 40 lambanog drinkers dead.

The newly developed test kit will mainly allow manufacturers to check their product more accurately for dangerous levels of methanol.

Also called methyl alcohol, wood alcohol or carbinol, methanol is commonly used as a solvent or fuel and is also found in some household products like varnish and antifreeze.

While methanol is present in small quantities in alcoholic drinks, ingesting more than 30 milliliters can be lethal. Once in the human body, it is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid in the liver.

Concentrations of methanol at 6-27 milligrams per liter have been measured in beer, and at 10-220 mg/l in spirits.

Safety issues

The DOST’s Calabarzon office conducted research leading to the development of the test kit in response to safety issues arising from mass poisoning, which also threatened to undermine the lambanog industry in general.

Project leader Hosea Matel of CvSU and science research specialist Jon Uriel Layos presented the project titled “Development of Field-Test Kit for Detection of Methanol Contamination in Alcoholic Beverages” during the recent DOST Regional Science and Technology Week.

The protoytpe test kit looks like a tray with five “reaction wells” that function as small tubes. The first three wells are for the sample distillates or lambanog extract (the new product being tested), the fourth well is for a blank sample (a solution with no component for analysis, usually plain water), and the last for the reference standard of lambanog that has 4,000 ppm (parts per million) of methanol.

Layos demonstrated the steps in using the field test kit that include putting buffer and enzyme solutions inside the five reaction wells. The first three wells were filled with 5 microliters of lambanog samples. The fourth well contained water without methanol while the last well was filled with the reference standard.

After one hour, another solution was added until the colors of the samples changed.

“If the hue of the samples is the same or brighter compared to the reference standard, then it means that the methanol level is high and it is not safe for drinking,” Layos said. “But if the change in color is not as bright, then the sample is safe for drinking,” he added.

PH standard still ‘vague’

According to Matel, the 4,000 ppm of methanol that was used as a reference point in the study is based on the European Union’s standard.

DOST Calabarzon Regional Director Emelita Bagsit explained that the Philippine standard for methanol remained “vague” and did not indicate the exact concentration limit.

“We are in the stage of going to local brewers to test the initial kit. After the input from the local brewers, we will finalize the design of the test kit,” Matel said.

In a weekly report on DOST projects last week, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the team was able to create simple, fast, and affordable field test kits for business owners.

“By taking samples and treating them, the observable change in its hue can now help local brewers determine whether or not their products are safe for human consumption. With the new technology, the locally brewed alcoholic beverages can be enjoyed without fear or worries,” he said.

Luzon favorite

The liquid that would become lambanog is first collected from the dripping sap or “tuba” of the unopened coconut flower. The sweet and frothy tuba is prepared through a process of natural fermentation and distillation.

In Luzon, the liquor is most popular in Quezon and Laguna provinces, which are the top producers of coconut.

—WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH