Recent spate of alcohol poisoning caused by toxic level of methanol (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: Analyses by the Health Ministry's Food Safety and Quality Control Division on one of the lethal alcoholic drinks that have claimed 23 lives showed methanol content above the permitted level.
The drinks were labelled as Grand Royal Whiskey, Mandalay Whiskey and King Fisher beer.
"Our analyses revealed that the methanol content of the Grand Royal Whiskey does not comply with the Food Act 1983," Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said during a press conference at the ministry today.
He did not provide further details.
Dzulkefly said a total of 55 cases of methanol poisoning were recorded as of 12pm today but he believed more would come forward to seek treatment.
"The labels on the drinks compounded so far do not have proper labelling.
"The manufacturer's details and so on are not on it. So far, 291 alcoholic drinks of various brands including those mentioned above have been impounded."
Last night, police issued a statement that the total death toll had risen to 23 from 19 in Selangor and four in Kuala Lumpur – with 56 cases reported so far.