Laser that reveals if your whisky is the real McCoy

 The laser beam can identify the brand, age and even which cask was used to create a single malt

SCIENTISTS have harnessed futuristic laser technology to catch out criminals who produce counterfeit Scotch whisky.

They have developed a powerful beam of light the width of a human hair that can test whether a whisky is genuine or not.

The laser beam can identify the brand, age and even which cask was used to create a single malt from a sample the size of a teardrop. 

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It is hoped that the technology can be used to combat widespread fraud, which costs the Scotch whisky industry an estimated ?500million every year.

The technology, developed by researchers at the University of St Andrews, uses ?optical fibres? to gather information about the whisky sample.

It involves researchers placing a tiny amount of whisky on a transparent plastic chip no bigger than a credit card. By analysing the collection of light scattered from the whisky by the laser, the researchers are able to diagnose the sample.

The research, carried out by physicists Praveen Ashok, Kishan Dholakia and Bavishna Praveen, was revealed in the journal Optics Express.

Mrs Praveen said: ?Counterfeiting is rife in the drinks industry, which is constantly searching for new, powerful and inexpensive methods for liquor analysis. Using the power of light, we have adapted our technology to address a problem related to an industry which is a crucial part of the Scottish culture and economy.?

Professor Dholakia added: ?Light is incredible and has led to amazing advances in the last 50 years since the advent of the laser. It is amazing to think that the technology we are developing for biomedical analysis can also be used to help us enjoy a wee dram ? and with the minimum of waste.?

Mr Ashok said that they were able to identify fake whiskies by examining the ?scattering of light and shift in energy? when it interacts with molecules in the liquid. He added: ?Whisky turns out to be very interesting. We can not only gather information about the alcohol content, but also the colour and texture.?

Drinks giant Diageo already uses ultra-violet technology, known as ?the authenticator?, to test whisky.

News of the development comes just months after it emerged the industry earned almost ?3.5billion last year as worldwide exports hit a record high.