Is counterfeiting a big problem?
The IFSP (International Federation of Spirit Producers) the main industry anti counterfeiting organisation estimate annual losses world wide at £500 million. ($ 865 million or € 725 million). Further loss occurs through substitution where bar staff refill branded spirit bottles with cheap inferior product or just water.

What drinks can the Authenticator be used for?
The Authenticator can be used for virtually any alcoholic or non alcoholic liquid from champagne to mineral water. There are only two things to consider namely how absorbent is the liquid to Ultra Violet light and whether or not it contains bubbles.

How is sample introduced into cell?
The sample cell is inside the black ring between the cylindrical lamp housing on the front, and the main body of the instrument. On either side of the cell there are connections with non-return valves. The sample is introduced using a syringe through the right hand side coupling. The cell takes about 1ml of liquid. Usually we plug a larger syringe into the left side to collect the waste samples; alternatively a short length of waste pipe can be connected to the plastic coupling. There is also a pressure release valve as a safety feature.

Is there a problem with bubbles?
The short answer is yes, but only if they get into the measurement cell. For products like champagne and beer a short (2 minute) debubbling in a small ultrasonic bath removes the bubbles allowing accurate and repeatable measurements.

How do I measure different drinks?
The Authenticator is available with a number of different path length cell / lamp units which can be interchanged in under one minute.
0.2 mm is used for cognac and other brandies, for some Bourbons, also for beers, Coke, Pepsi etc. and champagne.
1.0 mm is used for Scotch and Irish whisky, most Bourbons, tequila, sake, raki, etc.
30 mm is used for vodkas and mineral waters.

How is the unit cleaned?
There is always liquid in the cell. When used for spirits this is not a problem as the alcohol keeps the cell clean. However if used with liquids with a higher water content such as beers or soft drinks, or especially water, we recommend that at the end of a session the cell is flushed with vodka (or 40% alcohol in water) and stored with this in the cell. The cell can be cleaned by flushing with dilute (3%) nitric acid followed by distilled water, but if flushed after use as suggested above this should not be necessary.

How is the database of genuine products set up?
We recommend measuring 10 samples and then an average is calculated. We also recommend that they are taken from different production batches to allow for the natural batch to batch variation in manufacturing.

What method do you use to build the database?
We recommend that you measure between 10 and 20 production samples taken over a two year period to get an accurate reflection of the batch to batch variation in production, so that genuine samples are not failed unnecessarily. However it is possible to use just a single retail sample and the software provided will automatically set tolerances based on our user’s experience.

What identification method is used to check if a sample is genuine or not?
A multivariate statistical calculation is done over the selected wavelengths for the brand in question. For each brand there are two threshold values for this, which are set by the customer. A result below the first threshold (for instance, result < 5) will give a Green light and "PASS" on the display. A result between the first and second thresholds (for instance 5 < result < 29.5) will give an Amber light and the unit will display "FAIL". A result greater than the second threshold will give a Red light and the unit will display "FAIL".

How often should the instrument be calibrated?
For spirit authentication we use a vodka (or a 40% ethanol in water mixture) as a calibration liquid (distilled water for beer and water based liquids). The instrument is calibrated using this approximately once an hour in any continuous measuring session. However for field use when the instrument is switched off after each series of tests, it must be recalibrated when next switched on.

What is the typical reproducibility of the measurement of the Brand Authenticator?
Better than 0.5% when tested on the same whisky sample over some time.

How many brands and samples can be stored?
The instrument stores data on 16 standard products, although this can be upgraded to larger numbers. This data can be uploaded and changed at any time by connecting the Authenticator to a PC or laptop computer. Software to do this is supplied with the Authenticator. The data on up to 40 unknown samples measured using the instrument are stored (time and date stamped with a sample number 1 - 40) This information can be downloaded and stored on a PC for later analysis. For example, to see in how many different bars or cities a particular counterfeit product is found.