Analyzing isotopes for nitrate in sake for combating beverage fraud in Japan

The demand for sake, a Japanese alcoholic drink, has increased globally. However, the rise in the popularity of sake has the potential for related beverage fraud. To address this issue, researchers from Japan have identified a novel method to authenticate the source of and differentiate between sake breweries. They measured the oxygen and nitrogen stable isotopes in nitrates within sake using denitrifying bacteria first. Their findings could help prevent mislabeling of the sake's brewery of origin.