NMR, or, more specifically, Site Specific Natural Isotope Fractionation by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SNIF-NMR), was in the mid 1990s the most powerful analytical tool for the authentication of alcoholic drinks. It is therefore an important weapon, and deterrent, against adulteration and fraud.
It was developed during the 1980s by Professor Gérard Martin of Nantes University in north-west France and is officially approved as an analytical method both by the eu and, more internationally, by the oiv. This powerful research aid has been patented and marketed on a worldwide basis by the EU-funded Eurofins enterprise.
