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Bigão VLCP, da Costa BRB, Gomes NC, Santos Júnior WJR, Marinho PA, De Martinis BS. From inspection to analysis: A combined approach to identifying counterfeit whiskeys using HS-GC-FID and bottle integrity. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 357:111977. [PMID: 38503039 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Counterfeiting of alcoholic beverages, particularly high-value spirits such as whiskey, presents significant challenges for regulators, manufacturers, and consumers. In this study, we introduce and validate a novel application of headspace extraction (HS) followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for the quantitative determination of ethanol content in 42 suspected counterfeit brazilian samples of whiskeys. This method, in conjunction with visual inspection of material inconsistencies, offers a combined approach to identify potential cases of fraud. The HS-GC-FID findings revealed that only 19% of the analyzed samples had ethanol content in the limits declared on the label, emphasizing the role of ethanol content as a chemical marker for suspected beverage fraud.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nayna Cândida Gomes
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-093, Brazil
| | | | - Pablo Alves Marinho
- Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Bruno Spinosa De Martinis
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-091, Brazil
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2
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Ratkovich N, Esser C, de Resende Machado AM, Mendes BDA, Cardoso MDG. The Spirit of Cachaça Production: An Umbrella Review of Processes, Flavour, Contaminants and Quality Improvement. Foods 2023; 12:3325. [PMID: 37685257 PMCID: PMC10486784 DOI: 10.3390/foods12173325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the production, classification, and quality control of cachaça, a traditional Brazilian sugarcane spirit with significant cultural importance. It explores the fermentation and distillation of sugarcane juice, the ageing process in wooden containers, and the regulatory aspects of cachaça labelling. It emphasises the role of quality control in maintaining the spirit's integrity, focusing on monitoring copper levels in distillation stills. Ethyl carbamate (EC), a potential carcinogen found in cachaça, is investigated, with the study illuminating factors influencing its formation and prevalence and the importance of its vigilant monitoring for ensuring safety and quality. It also underscores the control of multiple parameters in producing high-quality cachaça, including raw material selection, yeast strains, acidity, and contaminants. Further, the impact of ageing, wood cask type, and yeast strains on cachaça quality is examined, along with potential uses of vinasse, a cachaça by-product, in yeast cell biomass production and fertigation. A deeper understanding of the (bio)chemical and microbiological reactions involved in cachaça production is essential to facilitate quality control and standardisation of sensory descriptors, promoting global acceptance of cachaça. Continued research will address safety concerns, improve quality, and support the long-term sustainability and success of the cachaça industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Ratkovich
- Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia
| | - Christian Esser
- Wineschool3, P.O. Box 11227, Grand Cayman KY1-1008, Cayman Islands;
| | - Ana Maria de Resende Machado
- Departamento de Química, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Avenida Amazonas, 5253, Nova Suiça, Belo Horizonte 30421-169, MG, Brazil;
| | | | - Maria das Graças Cardoso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Lavras (UFLA), Campus Universitário, Lavras 37200-900, MG, Brazil;
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3
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Muhollari T, Szűcs S, Sajtos Z, McKee M, Baranyai E, Ádány R, Pál L. Heavy metals in unrecorded Albanian rakia: A pilot study on a potential public health risk. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13717. [PMID: 36873485 PMCID: PMC9981896 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Unrecorded alcohol has been linked to illness above and beyond that caused by ethanol alone because of the presence of toxic contaminants. While it can be found in all countries, consumption is high in Albania, where it is frequently consumed as a fruit brandy known as rakia. Among the contaminants identified previously in such products, metals including lead have been detected at levels posing a risk to health but there is little information on their presence in rakia. To fill this gap, we measured the level of ethanol and 24 elements among them toxic metals in 30 Albanian rakia samples. We found that 63.3% of rakia samples had ethanol concentration above 40% v/v. We also showed that there was a significant difference between the measured [mean: 46.7% v/v, interquartile range (IQR): 43.4-52.1% v/v] and reported (mean: 18.9% v/v, IQR: 17.0-20.0% v/v) concentrations of ethanol in rakia. Among the metals detected, aluminium, copper, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc were present in rakia samples at concentrations ranging between 0.013 and 0.866 mg/l of pure alcohol (pa), 0.025-31.629 mg/l of pa, 0.004-1.173 mg/l of pa, 0.185-45.244 mg/l of pa, 0.044-1.337 mg/l of pa, and 0.004-10.156 mg/l of pa, respectively. Copper and lead were found to be the greatest concern posing a potential public health risk. Although the estimated daily intake of these heavy metals from unrecorded rakia was below their toxicological threshold, the concentrations of lead and copper exceeded their limit value of 0.2 and 2.0 mg/l of pa specified for spirits in 33% and 90% of samples, respectively. Therefore, the possibility of adverse health effects cannot be excluded completely. Our findings highlight the need for action by policymakers against the risks posed by these products in Albania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teuta Muhollari
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sándor Szűcs
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsófi Sajtos
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Martin McKee
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edina Baranyai
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róza Ádány
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,ELKH-DE Public Health Research Group, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Pál
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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4
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Sundermann TR, Schmitt G, Bartel M. Modified congener analysis: Quantification of cyanide in whole blood, other body fluids, and diverse beverages. Drug Test Anal 2020; 13:412-418. [PMID: 32939996 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The congener analysis is routinely used for the determination of volatile compounds in body fluids and beverages for forensic investigations. Although intoxications with cyanide via smoke inhalation or ingestion of cyanide salts are frequently encountered in forensic medicine, the inclusion of hydrogen cyanide in this analysis was never studied in detail. In this work, a very simple, fast, and sensitive quantification method with headspace gas chromatography and flame ionization detection for the analysis of cyanide in whole blood-was developed and validated. In contrast to the standard sample preparation of the congener analysis, an acidification step with tartaric acid was added. A limit of detection of 50 ng/ml, good linearity (coefficient of correlation > 0.9997), high accuracy (101.5%-106.4%), and precision (relative standard deviation 1.8%-3.7%) were achieved. Authentic blood samples of 10 forensic cases were investigated with the new method. Furthermore, the method was used for the quantification of cyanide in other body fluids (serum and urine) and diverse beverages. Interferences were investigated, and the addition of aldehydes produced a clear concentration-dependent decrease of the cyanide signal. Besides, the method offers an economical use of limited sample material by the simultaneous determination of cyanide, ethanol, and congener alcohols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom R Sundermann
- Institute of Forensic and Traffic Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg Schmitt
- Institute of Forensic and Traffic Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Bartel
- Institute of Forensic and Traffic Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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Facci RR, Cezário PSDO, de Gois JS, Luna AS, Pacheco WF. Identification of Counterfeit Vodka by Synchronous Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Chemometric Analysis. ANAL LETT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2020.1810694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rômulo R. Facci
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Paulo S. de O. Cezário
- Programa de pós graduação em engenharia química, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jefferson S. de Gois
- Programa de pós graduação em engenharia química, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Aderval S. Luna
- Programa de pós graduação em engenharia química, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wagner F. Pacheco
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
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Shapira B, Schaefer E, Poperno A, Hess Z, Rosca P, Berkovitz R. The methanol content of illicit alcoholic beverages seized in a low socio-economic area of Tel-Aviv: public health impact and policy implications. J Public Health (Oxf) 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10389-018-0922-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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7
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Santos MSF, da Costa ET, Gutz IGR, Garcia CD. Analysis of Methanol in the Presence of Ethanol, Using a Hybrid Capillary Electrophoresis Device with Electrochemical Derivatization and Conductivity Detection. Anal Chem 2017; 89:1362-1368. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Sérgio Ferreira Santos
- Departamento
de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department
of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Eric Tavares da Costa
- Department
of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Ivano Gebhardt Rolf Gutz
- Departamento
de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos D. Garcia
- Department
of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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