Sniffing out fake perfume

Swiss scientists have developed an analytical ‘nose’ that can differentiate between genuine and fake perfume products.  The technique – known as electrostatic spray ionization (ESTASI) – can analyse and identify counterfeit perfumes faster than conventional methods, according to the researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).   “The perfume market is growing significantly, and it is easy to find imitative fragrances of probably all types of perfume,” say the researchers, who used their technique to analyse six fragrances from well-known manufacturers including Givenchy, Hermes and D&G. Fake fragrances are usually of lower quality than authentic ones, which can damage the reputation of perfume companies and cost the cosmetic industry and consumers “significant amounts of money,” they write in the journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (RCMS).  Using ESTASI, the commercial fragrances were analysed and compared to a ‘model’ perfume made up of 10 different compounds. The results showed that the new method was able to quickly distinguish between authentic perfumes and a mock counterfeit.

 

http://www.securingindustry.com/cosmetics-and-personal-care/sniffing-out-fake-perfume/s106/a1850/