pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol with iraman specrtrometer in background

Counterfeit Analysis

Raman spectroscopy is well recognized as an analytical tool for the discrimination of similar molecules. Counterfeit substances such as diluted edible oils and counterfeit prescription drugs can be measured and controlled before they reach the consumer, and hopefully even sooner to reduce unnecessary production costs. Equally, product tampering for example diethylene glycol in glycerin, melamine in milk powder and methanol-contaminated liquor can be identified and addressed to avoid potential harm to consumers. Similar molecules such as ethanol and methanol, falsely labeled prescription drugs can be analyzed on-site in order to confirm the chemical composition to ensure safety and reliability in the products we use every day.

What makes Raman ideally suited for this particular application over comparative technologies such as FTIR is its nondestructive nature, and ability to measure through optically transparent containers and insensitivity to interference from water. Portable Raman spectrometers can be used not only for the identification of adulterants, but also for providing quantitative results. This technique can be expanded to other types of adulteration- from water dilution of alcohol and other products, to intentional substitution of prescription drugs with placebos.

Products

i-Raman® Prime

High throughput, Highly Sensitive, High Resolution Raman System

STRam®

Portable Raman Analyzer for Rapid Analysis and Identification Through Opaque Barriers

i-Raman® Pro

Deep Cooled, Highly Sensitive, High Resolution Fiber Optic Raman System

i-Raman® EX

1064nm Fiber Optic Raman System

i-Raman® Plus

Highly Sensitive, High Resolution Fiber Optic Raman System

NanoRam® – BWT-840000341

Handheld Raman Spectrometer

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Application Notes

The mysteries of our origins have intrigued humans since the beginning of time. In this application note, a Raman Spectrometer manufactured by B&W Tek was used in analysis to show feasibility of Raman for the ‘Exomars’ payload mission launched in 2018.
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Law enforcement personnel, laboratory technicians, crime scene investigators and many others face a significant challenge for identification of materials in a forensic investigation, as they must routinely examine materials such as gun powder residue, drugs of abuse, hair sampling, chemical precursors and more. In these cases, technologies such as Raman spectroscopy can be successfully used for cursory identification of multiple forensic sample types either directly in the field or in the lab.
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Dispersive Raman spectroscopy has increasingly been implemented for material identification due to its portability and sampling flexibility. When choosing a Raman instrument, a primary concern is the wavelength of the laser that is integrated into the Raman spectrometer system. Though the Raman shift of any material is only related to the material’s specific chemical structure and is independent of the excitation wavelength, different wavelengths have their strengths and weaknesses.
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Over the past several years, an alarming trend has become evident, highlighting serious issues related to contaminated alcohol within the European Union. In September 2012 the Czech Republic officially banned the sale of hard liquor after 20 people died from the consumption of methanol-laced spirits. After an exhaustive study, the Czech Republic turned to the use of portable Raman spectroscopy to quantify methanol in contaminated spirits.
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In this presentation, Katherine Bakeev discusses the growing global issue of counterfeit medicines and how our NanoRam handheld Raman spectrometer offers quick and easy testing for the detection of these counterfeit medicines.
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The emergence of counterfeit prescription drugs has become a concern for the pharmaceutical industry. Counterfeit drugs are fraudulently manufactured and/or mislabeled to appear genuine. Due to the prevalence of these potentially dangerous counterfeits, it is necessary to develop a technique that can quickly confirm the identity of a suspected fake drug.  
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This app note details how the i-Raman EX portable Raman spectrometer was utilized to identify colorants used in stamps on a historical envelope from 1885 while maintaining sample integrity
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Ever since the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended that all pharmaceutical companies test every raw material that passes through their manufacturing facilities, this practice has attracted great interest in the nutraceuticals, food manufacturing, cosmetics, and agricultural industries, pushing them to strive for more rigorous and technology-oriented quality control standards.
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