Author: Gary Jackson
What is Powdered Alcohol and is it Dangerous?
This legislation was introduced in 2014 and again in 2015 but was never considered by the Senate. Due to the volatility of alcohol, relatively higher than water, time-consuming methods, such as freeze drying, should not be used. The recipe has not been shared by the company, but Paul Adams, a senior editor at Popular Science, has made and tested a powdered recipe of his own that he believes is similar to Phillips’ Palcohol.
As consumers begin using this product, and as researchers and medical professionals study it further, keep an eye out for additional information. Powdered alcohol, or Palcohol, is alcohol that’s been dried and encased into sugar molecules. The substance is created through a process called “micro-encapsulation.” The sugar molecules, or cyclodextrins, absorb up to 60% of their own weight in alcohol to form the powder substance. It typically comes in a packet that can transform a 12oz bottle of water into a standard alcoholic drink. Recently it’s been making headlines as familiar disagreements between manufacturers of the product, politicians, and public health professionals get press.
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Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved revised labels for powdered alcohol, allowing the product to be sold in the United States. But before you go looking for it on store shelves, be aware that as of June 2015, twenty-two states have banned powdered alcohol. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the ingredients used in powdered alcohol, it has not approved or tested the product itself.
Montana implemented a law effective November 2015 giving agency discretion regarding the sale of powdered alcohol. The name ‘powdered alcohol’ is somewhat misleading and some reports about the product have been inaccurate. The powdered substance is not freeze-dried and is not always in a powdered form. Alcohol is absorbed by a sugar derivative and through the encapsulation process, capsules of powdered alcohol are created.