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+--- Thread: Distilling experts warn: Watch for counterfeit & illicit alcohol at home and abroad (/thread-17054.html)
Distilling experts warn: Watch for counterfeit & illicit alcohol at home and abroad - C C - Dec 23, 2024
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1069055
INTRO: Experts from a renowned international brewing and distilling centre are warning people to watch out for counterfeit and illicit alcohol - spirits - whether they’re travelling abroad over the festive season or celebrating at home.
Academics from Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), have warned people to not be complacent about the risks of counterfeit and illicit alcohol. It is not just a problem in far away countries; lots of alcohol sold in the UK is also counterfeit.
The warning comes following recent cases in Istanbul, where toxic alcohol-related deaths have reached 37, amidst a major crackdown on bootleg alcohol by the Turkish authorities on illegal producers. Over the past few months there have also been fatalities and serious illness, due to contaminated alcohol in Laos and Fiji.
Only a problem abroad? In the US, EU, UK there is a relatively low rate of counterfeit spirits – low but not zero. But the bottles that are being sold outside of normal channels such as shops and off licenses, certainly should be treated with caution.
Counterfeit spirits are emphatically not only a problem affecting tourists in ‘far-flung’ destinations. Counterfeit spirits, accounting for 25-40% of consumption in some areas, cost the EU €3 billion annually. As recently as September, warnings were issued in Jersey after the authorities discovered a batch of counterfeit vodka - imitating a popular Scottish brand - contaminated with chemicals dangerous to human health.
And several years ago, researchers found that 33% of tested old and rare Scotch whisky was found to be fake. Tell tale signs are... (MORE - details, no ads)