Food Standards Agency
Safer food better business banner
AZ-Directory
What's NewRSS
What is RSS?Listen
Listen to this siteTuesday 5 November 2002
Your questions answered about methanol-contaminated whisky.
QA
Methanol (wood alcohol) is a substance formed naturally during the production of many alcoholic drinks and, at the low levels normally present, is not harmful to health
Back to topQA
Methanol should not be present in this product at the levels it has been found and could cause serious harm to someone drinking it.
Back to topQA
Effects include severe abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness and the risk of coma with breathing difficulties.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be delayed for several hours so anyone who has drunk this product may not be immediately aware of the dangers.
Back to topQA
The Agency is advising people not to drink this counterfeit product. All UK Local Authorities have been asked to ensure the product is not on sale in their area. If it is found, it will be removed from sale and destroyed.
Investigations as to the source or origin of this counterfeit product and distribution are continuing.
Back to topQA
The distributors of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, Diageo Great Britain Ltd, have confirmed that this is not a genuine product. Both the label and liquid are counterfeit.
The counterfeit bottles can be identified from genuine Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky by a number of subtle differences.
These include:
QA
The Agency strongly advised people not to drink this counterfeit product. If anyone has a bottle at home, or is unsure if it is a genuine product, they should contact the environmental health officers at their local authority.
Back to topQA
Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be serious and may be delayed for several hours. Anyone who have thinks that they may have recently drunk this product (within the last 24 hours) should contact their doctor.
Back to topDownload image
(Image 33KB)Find out about our different types of content