Overview

• The Health Ministry lists 59 suspected cases and 12 confirmed methanol intoxications nationwide, with one death confirmed in São Paulo.
• Forensic analysts report methanol in 2 of the first 10 seized bottles tested, with hundreds more samples moving through laboratory review.
• Police in São Paulo arrested an alleged supplier of bottles, caps, labels and counterfeit tax seals, while separate actions seized over 2,000 gin bottles, shut a clandestine factory, and previously sealed a lot of 128,000 bottles in Barueri.
• Investigators focus on contamination during the washing of reused bottles in refill schemes that circulate through clandestine depots and online markets, though the origin of the methanol remains undetermined.
• São Paulo will revoke state registrations of businesses caught selling adulterated or undocumented drinks, Congress advanced urgency to toughen penalties, and states from Espírito Santo to Ceará ordered forensic testing of seized stock.