Yes — in small amounts, like every fermented drink. Methanol forms naturally whenever fruit or grain is fermented, and it is present in beer, wine and spirits as well as tuak. The World Health Organization notes that at the levels normally found in these drinks, methanol is not harmful. People are poisoned when a spirit is distilled badly, and above all when methanol is deliberately added to illicit or informally made drinks.

Where methanol comes from

Methanol comes mainly from pectin, a natural substance in the cell walls of plants. During fermentation, an enzyme breaks pectin down and releases methanol. It is a normal part of fermentation rather than a sign that something has gone wrong.

How much forms depends largely on the raw material. Fruit contains the most pectin, so fruit ferments carry the most methanol — stone fruits such as cherries and plums, and apples and pears, are among the highest.

What that means for rice tuak and fruit tuak

Plain rice tuak is fermented from glutinous rice, which is mostly starch rather than pectin. Tuak made with fruit is a different matter: fruit brings pectin with it, so a fruit tuak can be expected to carry more methanol than a plain rice one.

Whether rice or fruit, undistilled tuak can only contain the methanol its own fermentation produced. Distillation is different: it concentrates the drink, and the WHO notes that harmful levels can form when it is managed badly — which is why distilled spirits made informally carry more risk than fermented ones.

Why the real danger is distilled and illicit drinks

The WHO identifies two ways harmful amounts of methanol end up in a drink: badly managed distillation, and — more often — methanol deliberately added to strengthen informally made or illicit drinks. In those cases it is added to fortify a bootleg spirit — the drink was never made safely in the first place.

The WHO names informally produced tuak and tapai in Malaysia among the drinks where this risk exists. That is not a statement about tuak as a drink; it is a statement about unlabelled, untraceable alcohol sold outside any system of accountability, which can carry any name.

The consequences can be severe. In September 2018, Malaysia’s largest recorded methanol poisoning outbreak — traced to illicit liquor — affected 97 people across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Perak and Negeri Sembilan, and 48 of them died.

How to buy tuak safely

The WHO’s advice to drinkers applies to tuak just as it does to any alcohol:

  • Don’t buy alcohol sold in unlabelled containers.
  • Be wary of drinks sold very cheaply in informal settings that aren’t licensed to sell alcohol.
  • Check that labels are properly printed and seals are intact.
  • Know the symptoms of methanol poisoning, and act quickly if they appear.

Above all, buy from a maker you can name. Distilled spirits made at home, such as langkau, deserve particular care, because distillation is where the risk is highest.

Signs of methanol poisoning

Methanol poisoning is easy to miss at first, because symptoms are delayed — often by many hours, and longer if the person has also been drinking ordinary alcohol. It may start with drowsiness and unsteadiness that look like drunkenness. Later come headache, vomiting, stomach pain and dizziness, then fast or difficult breathing and blurred vision, which can progress to blindness.

If anyone develops these symptoms after drinking, get emergency medical help immediately — in Malaysia, call 999 — and tell the medical team that methanol poisoning is suspected. Early treatment makes a real difference.

Common questions

Does tuak contain methanol? Yes, in small amounts, like every fermented drink. Methanol forms naturally during fermentation. The World Health Organization notes that the levels normally found in fermented drinks and spirits are not harmful; poisoning comes from badly managed distillation and, above all, from methanol deliberately added to illicit or informally made drinks.

Does fruit tuak contain more methanol than rice tuak? It can. Methanol comes mainly from pectin, which fruit contains far more of than rice, so fruit ferments generally carry more methanol than plain rice ones.

What are the symptoms of methanol poisoning? Symptoms often appear hours after drinking: drowsiness, then headache, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, fast or difficult breathing and blurred vision or blindness. Anyone with these symptoms after drinking should get emergency medical help immediately — in Malaysia, call 999.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you’re worried about methanol poisoning, seek emergency medical help.

Sources

For more on how tuak is made, read how tuak is made, or see is tuak good for you? for an honest look at drinking it responsibly.