The Consumers' Foundation said that the various alcohol pastes commonly used in hot pot restaurants contain methanol, which can cause cancer to individuals who inhale it. The foundation is now suggesting the people to use electric stoves as a safer alternative.

It's a great winter treat to have hot pot with friends.

But beware if you are eating hot pot heated by solid alcohol, this could cause cancer risks.

A random inspection by Consumer's Foundation indicates that all the solid alcohol products sold on the market contain methanol, which is often marked on the label as alcohol, a clear violation of the Commodity Labelling Act.

Using the substance is not only cancer-causing but has hidden threats.

Since solid alcohol is colorless when burning, when a table is on fire, wiping the desktop is only going to bring up the fire.

There are always some accidents involving such solid alcohol during each winter.

One should remember to stay away from hot pot heated by such substance or use gas stove as replacement.

This could avoid taking in carcinogens.

If an accident happens, remember to cover the fire with wet cleaning rags, as this can put off the fire immediately.