There are several issues surrounding counterfeit spirits. When someone purchases a product, particularly a premium spirit drink such as whisky, they place their trust in the brand appearing on the product and associate that brand with the quality of the product therein. If that product is counterfeit, a consumer is exposed to a sub-par, likely poor-quality product which, in a worst case scenario, could also be dangerous. This is bad news for a consumer but also incredibly damaging for brands who spend time and money establishing a reputation for the quality of their product.
Whilst trade mark registrations and protecting branding play an important part in the wider issue of tackling counterfeits, it can be difficult to establish whether the actual consumable product is genuine. This is a particular problem in the whisky industry, where genuine bottles with genuine labels are refilled with a counterfeit product, making it really difficult to determine whether a product is real or fake.
There is no doubt therefore that this new method and database will be used by brand owners to determine the authenticity of their own products. It promises a low-cost, simple and effective way of detecting and identifying illicit spirit products which in turn, should result in the removal of these products from the market, away from unsuspecting consumers and therefore helping to maintain the reputation of well-known brands.
Researchers are developing a database to detect counterfeit alcoholic spirits, aiming to combat illicit production worldwide
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