Scientists develop counterfeit whisky detector

A new test to catch counterfeit whisky brands has been developed by scientists.

A team of four researchers at the University of Strathclyde's department of pure and applied chemistry and development company Fibre Photonics successfully spotted nine counterfeit drams in a test batch of 17 samples.

The scientists inserted probes with optical fibres into whisky samples to examine the levels of ethanol and colorant in each one.

Researchers said the method can be used with portable devices, providing quick and accurate results on site without the need to send the samples to a laboratory for analysis.

Scientists say the ethanol test can be conducted in a minute and the colorant test in around 20 minutes.

Professor David Littlejohn, who led the research, said: "The whisky industry has tools at its disposal for telling authentic and counterfeit whisky brands apart but many of them involve lab-based analysis, which isn't always the most convenient system if a sample needs to be identified quickly.

"There's a growing need for methods that can provide simpler and faster identification and we have developed a system which could be adapted for devices to use on site, without the need to return samples to a lab. It could be of great benefit to an industry which is hugely important to the economy.

"This is an encouraging development which we look forward to taking further and enhancing so that the industry has even more effective systems available."

taken from http://news.stv.tv/scotland/263760-malt-or-moonshine-scientists-develop-counterfeit-whisky-detector/