Protecting brand identity: Scientists generate “chemical fingerprints” of alcohol to tackle fraud

08 May 2024 --- Researchers have devised a method to detect counterfeit alcoholic spirits by using tech to generate “chemical fingerprints” of popular beverages like whisky, tequila, mezcal and bourbon. Combating fraud and bolstering alcohol authenticity is a crucial issue in the industry as WHO data estimates a quarter of all spirits are fake, which in turn lowers legitimate sales and erodes consumer trust. 

Illicit alcoholic products lead to significant economic losses, besides the associated “knock-on effects.” They also result in nearly 23,400 job losses annually, €3 billion (US$3.2 billion) in revenue drops and at least €1.2 billion (US$1.29 billion) in lost government revenue.

“Worldwide say as much as 40% bottled spirit is ‘non-official,” Michael A. Bryan, lead author of the research conducted at Heriot Watt University, Scotland and research associate at Process NMR Associates in the US, tells Food Ingredients First.

“Just like with anything illegal and unsanctioned, the profit to be had is high, perpetually attractive and there will always be people and groups making illicit products.”

He further points to a “large division” between the need for analytical determination and the cost of tools and labor to analyze illicit alcohol.

“A different approach is to reduce the equipment and labor cost and develop a framework and platform that is math and statistics-driven that can be at least as good as conventional technologies.”

The team has tapped into analytical tools like infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to determine the chemistry of sample spirits that can provide a rapid and low-cost screening method for manufacturers.

“Once complete, this database will provide in-depth analysis of hundreds of legitimate spirits, becoming an information source to determine the authenticity of a product,” he continues.

Analytical research shows that as much as 33% of tested old and collected Scotch whisky is counterfeit.The study is published in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists and acknowledges that while counterfeit spirit production is “sizeable,” no single solution with stricter legislation exists and advocates the development of low-cost methods to determine alcohol authenticity without the need to “physically open” a bottle.

Mitigating subterfuge of spirits 
Counterfeit substitutes may consist of many poisonous compounds, including nail polish remover, methanol and paint stripper, chemicals used in cleaning fluids, car window wash, antifreeze and some fuels, ethyl acetate (typically found in glues) and acetaldehyde (potentially cancerous if concentrated), posing a risk to consumer health.

“In all of the major distillers’ annual reports (Brown-Forman, Diageo, Beam-Suntory etc.), they explicitly list counterfeit spirits as one of the most fundamental threats to their well-being,” warns Bryan.

He also highlights how such products jeopardize consumer loyalty.

“If a customer gets a product that seems legitimate but the consuming experience is lacking, the customer may leave that brand in search of a better experience. There is no consumer product with as ‘sticky’ of brand identity as spirits.”

“Hence if a customer leaves a brand, they most likely will never return. The damage to brand perception can be permanent.”

Moreover, if consumers believe that there is a high chance that some spirit they acquire is not authentic, it could guide their long term purchasing decisions and cause them to leave the category altogether, he adds.

Saving time and costs
Bryan flags that the existing methods to detect illicit alcohol work well, but often require expensive equipment and consumable reagents.

“Many require highly skilled operators — oftentimes at the PhD level to run competently and interpret the results. Something that is robust to testing conditions, inexpensive, quick, repeatable and believable could help reduce this problem.”

If consumers are unsatisfied with the consuming experience, they may leave that brand in search of a better experience, flags Bryan.Having a database of hundreds of spirits outlining the legitimacy of a product could lead to a less expensive technique to sample a product, notes Bryan.

He also believes that the availability of lower costs and more rapid authenticity testing can help remove fake bottles and illegitimate producers “more rapidly.”

“Part of the problem with spirit counterfeit, especially those products of quality that are not intended to be immediately consumed, is the subterfuge may have been done years earlier — and therefore much more difficult to find the counterfeit origin,” he underscores.

Testing authenticity
The scientists are currently compiling and developing the set of information to develop the statistical database of spirits, Bryan reveals.

“Examining a product that is suspect, in a repeatable and believable manner and from there, using the statistical analysis, we can determine if there is need for further investigation.”

He further tells us that developing a rapid and low-cost screening method that “allows more people to test more bottles more quickly,” screening as much as possible and rapidly identifying what needs to be tested chemically, is important. 

However, he remarks that for “legal investigation,” actual chemical sampling and using the tried-and-true expensive systems will “never be replaced.”

Combating the threat
In the future, Bryan is optimistic about the study’s impact on mitigating alcohol fraud. 

“Anything that helps protect brand integrity and authenticity has commercial value. All major distillers overtly state counterfeiting is a threat and anything that reduces counterfeiting and enhances brand authenticity will be of value.”

“This work is meaningful and we plan to continue developing data, models and techniques to rapidly screen and test spirits,” he concludes.

By Insha Naureen