In daily life, "ethanol" and "alcohol" are often confused. Some people believe they are completely identical, while others worry that "alcohol" implies harmful ingredients. In fact, ethanol is indeed the main chemical component of alcohol, but ethanol products with different uses, purities, and additives vary greatly. Understanding the differences between "food grade", "industrial grade", and "medical grade" ethanol is crucial for safe use, production supervision, and consumption identification.

1、 Ethanol and alcohol: the same substance, different uses

From a chemical perspective, ethanol is an organic compound with the molecular formula C ₂ H ₅ OH. It is a hydroxyl containing compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. At room temperature, it is a colorless, transparent, volatile liquid that is soluble in water and flammable.

Alcohol "is a colloquial term for ethanol. In the beverage industry, "alcohol" usually refers to drinkable ethanol; In the industrial or medical fields, there is a significant difference in the formula and purity of ethanol. In other words, ethanol is alcohol, but not all alcohol can be consumed.

2、 The core differences among the three types of ethanol

①. Edible grade ethanol: sourced naturally and safe for consumption

Edible grade ethanol is mainly obtained by fermenting plant-based materials such as corn, cassava, sugarcane, grains, etc. Yeast converts sugars into ethanol, which can be distilled and purified to obtain high-purity products.

According to the national standard GB 10343 Edible Alcohol, the ethanol content must reach 95% or more, and there are strict limits on harmful substances such as methanol, aldehydes, and fusel oil.

It is safe, edible, non-toxic and harmless, and is commonly used in Baijiu, fruit wine, flavoring wine and food processing. The "base liquor" used in brewing is essentially high-purity edible ethanol.

②. Industrial grade ethanol: Service chemicals, prohibited for consumption

Industrial grade ethanol is mainly used in the fields of chemical production, energy and materials, such as paint, essence, ink, fuel ethanol, cleaning agent, etc.

It can be obtained by fermentation or synthesized by ethylene hydration (petrochemical route).

The purity of industrial ethanol is generally between 90% and 95%, and may contain impurities such as aldehydes and ketones. Denaturators (such as methanol, benzene, isopropanol, etc.) are often added to prevent abuse for drinking.

This type of ethanol is only suitable for industrial use, and ingestion can lead to serious poisoning or even death.

③. Medical grade ethanol: high-purity and specifically designed for disinfection

Medical ethanol is commonly used in medical disinfection, pharmaceuticals, and laboratories.

According to the Management Regulations for Medical Disinfectants, the common concentrations are:

3、 How to distinguish different types of ethanol

Type	Identification and Standards	Typical use	Purchase channel	Feature
Edible grade ethanol	Edible Alcohol "GB 10343	Baijiu and food processing	Distillery, food ingredient supplier	Soft and non irritating odor
Medical grade ethanol	Medical ethanol, external disinfectant, GB 26373	Disinfection and pharmaceuticals	Pharmacies and medical institutions	There are obvious disinfection labels
Industrial grade ethanol	Industrial alcohol, denatured ethanol, GB/T 678	Chemical raw materials, cleaning agents, fuels	Chemical raw material supplier	Stinky odor and peculiar smell

4、 Mixing risks and safety warnings

Ethanol has a similar appearance, but if the source is unknown and the label is incomplete, it is highly susceptible to misuse. Some illegal vendors once sold industrial alcohol as edible alcohol, causing serious poisoning incidents.

Industrial ethanol often contains methanol, which can generate formaldehyde and formic acid in the human body, seriously damaging the nervous system and vision, and even fatal.

Therefore:

·Do not purchase bulk 'alcohol' without labels or sources;

·Food and drug production should strictly distinguish between the sources and uses of raw materials;

·Enterprises should purchase, store, and label different grades of ethanol according to national standards to avoid mixing.