Edible ethanol: It is one type of ethanol made from cereal, potato, molasses or other edible crops through fermentation, distillation and refinement, which is used in the food industry and contains water. (From GB 31640-2016, Food Safety National Standard for Edible Ethanol)

Medicinal ethanol: It is made from starchy plant materials by saccharification and fermentation, followed by distillation, which is similar to the process of making wine, but the distillation temperature is lower and the distillation is repeated more times than in wine production. The ethanol content is higher, the yield is higher, and the amount of alcohol-free components such as ethers and aldehydes are higher than in wine. It cannot be drunk, but it can be used in medical applications that involve contact with the human body. (GB/T 26373-2010, Hygiene Standard for Ethanol Disinfectants)

Industrial ethanol: It is the alcohol used in industry, also known as denatured alcohol or industrial firewater. The purity of industrial ethanol is usually higher than 95%. It is mainly produced through synthetic methods and fermentation (from corn or cassava), and contains certain impurities such as methanol, aldehydes, and organic acids, which greatly increases its toxicity. Industrial ethanol cannot be used for human disinfection because methanol can cause poisoning, and even skin disinfection can result in some being absorbed into the skin, leading to serious poisoning and even blindness or death. GB/T 394.1-2008 specifies that the methanol content (premium) of industrial ethanol should be no more than 800mg/L, which is much higher than the maximum methanol content of 150mg/L specified in GB 31640-2016 for edible ethanol. (GB/T 394.1-2008, Industrial Ethanol)

Anhydrous ethanol: It is the chemical reagent commonly used in laboratories, whose ethanol content is 99.5%. GB/T 678-2002 chemical reagent ethanol (anhydrous ethanol) analysis pure grade specifies the mass fraction of methanol ≤0.05%, accounting for ≤500mg/L, which is far greater than the methanol content stipulated in edible ethanol GB 31640-2016 ≤150mg/L. (GB/T 687-2002 chemical reagent ethanol (anhydrous ethanol))