Another solution in search of a problem?

Oricon News carries a press release on the use of biotechnology techniques to identify where and when a sake was made (following on from identifying where a sake was made using a unique signature of isotopes from brewing water, which I covered a few issues ago). 

[Is this a real problem? I haven’t heard of “fake sake” overseas or in Japan, but if you have let me know…]

The tests were carried out by the Japan Distribution Management Support Organization (JDMSO), which markets a hidden tag system to authenticate products – but these tags cannot be used for food and drink.

Similar systems have already been used to prove the origin of wine, but they report this is the first time it has been done for sake, which is more difficult to profile due to its simple ingredients, and which carries no DNA that could be used to determine its origin. It is also easily separated from any RFID tag or QR code that could be used to authenticate a liquid.

The test took three bottles each, made at different times, from three breweries in different locations (Gunma, Niigata, Kyoto), and compared them to previously analysed data. Analysis results were plotted on three axes and reliably differentiated each sake not only by place of origin but also down to when it was made. [Unclear if this means that different batches have different profiles, or that the actual date of production could be determined.]

A case study for authentication of wine listed on the linked bornhere.jp site.

The test was reportedly carried out to address instances of empty bottles of popular sake being sold online and then filled with a different sake before being sold overseas at a high price, and JDMSO claim that bottles of sake have appeared in countries the brewery has no record of exporting to immediately after the national new sake appraisal (新酒鑑評会, shinshu kanpyoukai, Annual Japan Sake Awards).

They also claim that up to 30% of sake being distributed overseas is “fake” or counterfeit but cite no sources, although they have a solution to sell you, of course. For just JPY 500,000 to 3,000,000 per sake. And if a brewery suspects that a counterfeit version of their sake is being sold overseas, one of JDMSO’s overseas partners can get hold of it and send it for analysis with a report issued a few days later. 

JDMSO claim to have the only Japanese “scientific” proof of origin system. [Quote marks theirs, not mine, which I find especially ironic.] They also claim their system is similar to that used to authenticate the origin of coffee, wine, abalone, meat and diamonds, and to the system used to differentiate between genetically identical grain from Ukraine and Russia.

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“日本酒の原産地鑑定”に成功！バイオ技術を使い「いつ、どこの酒蔵で作られたのか」までピンポイントで特定。海外で売られる偽日本酒から消費者や日本メーカーを守る新技術 (Oricon News, 1 July 2024, Japanese)

I haven’t looked at a press release in a little while, I forget how over the top they can be. It’s an interesting idea, but there’s little information on how it actually works. A sister site (also very into scaremongering) claims their analysis is based on factors such as trace metals and isotopes in local earth and water, similar to the other system I heard about, but there’s no indication of whether they can detect differences between sake where the rice is grown or product is made in the same general area.

As it’s based on comparing data it wouldn’t work anyway unless a sake‘s data is already registered. Which could get expensive if you think of every variation made by a brewery.

And I’m still not sure how much of a problem this is – if it really affects 30% of exports I would expect to have heard more about it.