Program for checking excise stamps for alcohol. How to check excise stamps accompanying alcohol products

Hello, dear readers! Today I propose to talk about what counterfeiting is, how to deal with it, and how alcohol is checked using the excise stamp.

Did you think that surrogate drinks are protected so reliably that it would be impossible to calculate them with some knowledge? That excise tax can be bought at any Soyuzpechat stall and not be held liable? We will try to figure out how excise tax can serve as a guarantee of quality, and how the process of obtaining certification is monitored.

It is believed that the excise stamp was invented by the state solely for the purpose of obtaining tax on the sale of alcohol, so that the tax office could regulate the alcohol market and influence the price. This is partly true, but a simple distinctive sign can also protect the health of the consumer and warn him against purchasing low-quality products. To know everything about excise duty, I will try to describe the main verification methods and nuances that will show that this is a fake.

How to spot a fake yourself

1. Mindfulness

Remember the children's game "Find the Differences". When you pick up a bottle of alcoholic drink in a supermarket, it’s time to remember your powers of observation and see if all the degrees of protection are on the sticker that holds the container and lid together.

Counterfeiting any means of protection is a costly business, which is why excise forms often pay attention to the simplest aspects, while complex levels are ignored. 4 nuances that are worth paying attention to:

Inkjet stamp number;
Barcode;
Foil holographic image;
Information about the manufacturing plant, security level, release date.

2. Scan

If you buy alcohol not at a kiosk but at a market that respects its reputation, there must be a special scanner there. He may be waiting for you at the reception desk. It is enough to scan the excise stamp for the electronics to check all levels of compliance. Although, according to experts, even with such a check you will not be given 100% guarantees.

3. Measure seven times

Each excise sticker has its own size. For alcoholic drinks it is installed in two versions: 90x26 and 62x21. If the dimensions do not correspond to those specified, or have uneven or wrinkled edges, you should be wary.

Another nuance is that on a large stamp the upper part is separated from the larger lower golden thread. It does not erase, does not smudge, and can be pulled out of the paper if necessary.

4. Little tricks

Surrogate alcohol should be low in cost, so spending money on counterfeit protection is not in the interests of bootleggers. In order to make it easier for consumers to expose counterfeit goods, small fragments, invisible at first glance, were invented on protective parcels (stamps).

Knowing about them, identifying the original will not be difficult. Such invisible signs of originality include:

At the top of the text, the word “brand” is written in a negative stripe, and “FMS” in a positive one;
The hologram diamonds contain a pattern with the “RF” logo woven into it in the central part;
The strip with the inscription “Federal special stamp” gradually changing colors, goes from a negative print to a positive one;
The excise paper itself is made in the form of self-adhesive and does not have luminescence;
Fibers are scattered over the entire surface; they may be non-luminescent red or luminescent yellow-red.

Video instruction

Video instructions on how to distinguish a fake excise stamp from a real one

Checking via the Internet

There are several ways to check the protection of a liquor online.

Last chance

There is another 100% verification option, but it is more likely to be used by relatives or police authorities in the event of death or alcohol poisoning. This is a forensic examination conducted by the Forensic Science Center.

Here the liquid will be broken down into its components and molecules and it will be determined whether it corresponds to the lofty name of the ethyl-containing potion or is a fake. They will also study excise duty here. They will probably even determine what equipment it was printed on. Only these measures will be a reaction to the event that we are planning to prevent.

Conclusion

Knowledge about the levels of protection of alcoholic beverages and ways to verify their originality, of course, gives you additional guarantees when purchasing, but does not at all protect you from skillful, expensive counterfeiting. After all, the stereotype that a surrogate is made only in the form of burnt vodka has long outlived itself and in our realities, elite, expensive alcohol is of greater interest.

Now you are armed with the necessary knowledge and you have less chance of running into a fake. But I still highly recommend reading the article about methyl alcohol poisoning. This is a very terrible poison, the intake of which in most cases leads to blindness and even to of death. In case of methyl poisoning, the clock is ticking and it is extremely important to have the necessary information to take the necessary measures.

This is where I end. I would like to advise you to buy alcohol only in specialized stores and still pay attention to the excise tax, because it is printed for us! Subscribe to my blog updates, share interesting facts on social networks, and receive fresh and reliable information first-hand!

Until we meet again, Pavel Dorofeev.

vinodela.ru

Barcode on the label

The barcode carries a lot of information, in particular:

About the country of origin;
About the name of the product, its category;
About the expiration date;
About the authenticity of the digital code;

It seems that there is nothing difficult about faking a label, but the combination of numbers at the end of a 13-digit barcode allows you to identify an error. The verification system is so simple, so fake barcodes are stamped without taking into account the payment system, which is why they are caught during verification. And attempts to take into account the peculiarities of verification do not produce tangible results.

Barcodes can be of 2 types: 13- and 12-digit, depending on the country using this system. For example, in the European system the code consists of 13 digits, and in Canada and the USA it consists of 12 characters.

The International Product Accounting System has developed an individual code for each country for ease of reading the information.

You can check the barcode by downloading an application for your phone's operating system. You can use the service and check alcohol and more alcoholic products online.

Code review

How to check the authenticity of the code:

Manually
Automatically

To manually check, you need to add up the numbers in even positions and multiply the resulting number by 3, add this indicator with the sum of odd numbers, except for the last one, which is the control. For the resulting number, you must use the units exponent, subtracting this figure from 10. The resulting value must match the last digit of the barcode.

To automatically check, you only need to enter the barcode correctly, click in the “Check” field and evaluate the result. If the code is genuine, then it is highlighted with a green background; if it is fake, then the corresponding inscription appears.

There are several reasons why the numbers corresponding to the country of origin do not show the name they should, this could be due to several reasons:

The main plant has representatives and subsidiaries in other countries, although the brand will be retained.
If you have a license, the product can be manufactured in another country on behalf of a foreign manufacturer;
The company was registered in another country. In this case, all products will be labeled at the registration address.
If the company consists of several foreign founders, then the country code can be any of all the founding countries.

Knowing these subtleties, you can avoid purchasing counterfeit and low-quality products.

alcoholism.com

Indicators of excellent alcohol

Any alcoholic drink has its own indicators and quality characteristics. Alcohol products differ in the following nuances:

aroma;
fortress;
color spectrum;
flavors;
power of influence on the body.

They check the quality and authenticity of alcoholic products in specialized laboratories. You can order this check yourself by paying for the service. But you can determine your alcohol level yourself. There are many effective ways to do this.

Determining the authenticity of vodka

To determine the quality of one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in Russia, you should know external signs authentic drink. Vodka is checked according to the following criteria:

Taste.
Color.
Smell.

Therefore, you should not purchase vodka bottled in dark, opaque containers. Fortress quality vodka must be 40-56%. You can determine the temperature using a home alcohol meter.

According to statistics, in Russia, about 35-40 people are poisoned and killed every day using surrogate vodka with an existing excise stamp.

Good vodka will not contain any additional suspensions or impurities. It is soft in taste and has a distinct vodka aroma. When testing, the vodka liquid should not irritate or burn the laryngeal mucosa. Try rubbing a drop of vodka in your palm. A high-quality drink will not release any additional flavors (acetone, vinegar and other chemicals).

Studying aromatic foam

For beer, the main thing is the foam. Moreover, when drinking alcohol is spilled, there should not be too much or too little foam. The optimal foam level is medium in size, quite thick and rich. So, how to determine the quality of aromatic hops by the foamy layer.

No foam:

beer is heavily diluted with water;
hypothermia is present;
lacks carbon dioxide.

Too much foam:

the drink is too warm;
excess of intoxicating carbon dioxide;
improper pouring of foam into glasses.

A very significant factor is the stability of the foam. It shows the level of maturity of the foam. A good, high-quality hop foam will have a thick foam, with a layer thickness of 4-5 mm. And it will not leave the surface for about 1-1.5 minutes. Experts advise drinking beer at a temperature of +8-10⁰С.

Determining the quality of wine

This skill is very relevant. In our country, too many fake wines made from powder have recently appeared. Although this type of alcohol has all the necessary papers and permits, it cannot be considered real wine.

First of all, the quality of a wine is determined by its aroma. A too strong, repulsive odor indicates a poor alcohol level. But true wine will delight the user with a whole bouquet of pleasant aromas replacing each other. To better appreciate the wine aroma, pour the alcohol into a wide container and shake a little:

High-quality wine will slowly flow down the sides of the glass.
When you add 2-3 drops of glycerin to it, low-quality alcohol will turn an unusual color.

How not to make a mistake when choosing when buying

Of course, the store won’t let you try alcohol, open a bottle, or smell it. Tasting in the sales area is not provided. Therefore, alcohol is bought almost blindly. How not to make a mistake? To do this, you need to carefully study the container in which the drink is poured and the label of the bottle.

Pay attention to the label of the alcohol. Using it, or rather, using the barcode printed on it, you can find out the manufacturer. Experts do not advise buying products from countries that do not inspire confidence. The label must also contain the following information:

compound;
the date of bottling;
best before date;
Manufacturer country;
the type of alcohol sold.

An unevenly glued, crookedly placed label should alert the consumer. This is a direct indication that such alcohol is produced by handicraft, clandestine methods and can be poisonous and dangerous. And remember that a full quality check of alcoholic products can be carried out in a specialized laboratory.

It is better to seek the help of specialists if alcohol is purchased in large quantities for a large celebration. And never buy alcohol from hand or from unverified, questionable places.

We check alcohol using the excise stamp

The original purpose of creating excise stamps was to obtain a stable tax on the sale of alcohol. The state thus influenced the cost of alcoholic beverages and monitored the entire alcohol market. The history of this distinctive sign has its own characteristics. Look at the photos of old excise stamps for alcohol and compare them with modern ones:

This simple sign (if you know some rules) helps to distinguish counterfeit surrogate alcohol products from good quality alcohol. To accurately identify a fake, familiarize yourself with the basic rules of verification.

be careful

When you find yourself in the next supermarket in search of good quality alcohol, use all your powers of observation. You will need it when studying excise stamp. First of all, check the quality of the gluing of the paper holding the bottle itself and the cap together.

Know that counterfeiting is a long and quite expensive process. Therefore, for the most part, handicraft manufacturers of surrogates always pay more attention to simple and uncomplicated aspects. But they ignore complex levels of protection. Experts highlight four points that need to be paid attention to:

correct barcode;
The excise stamp number is always inkjet printed;
the image on the excise tax is foil and holographic;
Information about the release date, security level and manufacturer must be present.

Pay attention to the size of the excise stamp itself. For alcohol products, it is officially established and can be presented in two variations:

90x26 mm.
62x21 mm.

If the dimensions do not match the established ones, you need to be wary. There is one more nuance in the excise stamp (it applies to larger stamps). Their upper part is separated from the lower part by a golden thread. This thread is dyed quite firmly, does not smudge or wear off. It can be pulled out of paper very easily.

Alcohol scanning

Every supermarket that respects itself and the consumer has special scanners. With their help, alcohol is checked using a barcode. Some of these scanners are present in the trading floors themselves. They are also available at the reception desk.

You can also scan the excise stamp on them. The electronics will automatically check all existing levels of product quality compliance. But many experts do not give a 100% guarantee of the authenticity of such verification.

Useful tricks

Focus on the cost of the alcohol you like. Do not purchase suspiciously cheap products, no matter how attractive their prices may be. Surrogate alcohol will always cost less, bootleggers are especially famous for their cheapness.

The definition of “bootlegger” dates back to the days of Prohibition in the United States. This word denoted underground dealers in alcohol-containing products. Unfortunately, the activities of bootleggers are also flourishing in modern Russia.

Also, to identify surrogate alcohol, you should pay attention to some very small nuances. They are invisible at first glance, but are very important when assessing the quality of alcohol. So, on the excise stamp:

the paper itself, from which the excise stamp is made, has the appearance of self-adhesive and does not exhibit luminescence;
on the negative strip the word “brand” will be visible, but on the positive strip the abbreviation “FMS” will be visible;
the diamonds of the holographic image have a pattern into which the “RF” logo is “woven”, and this pattern is located in the center of the hologram;
the stripe where “Federal Special Mark” is written when the color changes gradually turns into a positive reflection from a negative one.

Online alcohol testing program

You can also check the excise stamp for alcohol by number online using the Internet. There are several methods to carry out these checks.

Using a national service

The Federal Service for Regulation of the Alcohol Products Market has developed an Internet service specifically for consumers. To understand how to check alcohol by excise stamp online, you need to go to the official website of the service in the section “Checking stamps”.

You should enter the necessary data from the excise stamp in a special window and receive complete information. The information obtained should be compared with other parameters. They must be identical.

Products webpage

An online check of the excise tax stamp for alcohol can also be carried out on the website of the manufacturer of this alcoholic product. Of course, there are excise tax data only for those products that are produced by the manufacturer. If the product is fake or surrogate, you won’t find information about it there. To do this, you should also enter the necessary information from the excise tax and receive all the necessary information online.

conclusions

Knowing all the nuances and degrees/levels of protection of high-quality alcoholic products, the consumer will be able to avoid purchasing obviously dangerous substitutes and low-quality alcohol. Of course, all of the above nuances cannot protect you from purchasing a high-quality counterfeit of elite alcohol.

Recently, there has been an increase in the production of surrogate alcohol under the guise of expensive alcohol.

Therefore, it is still worth purchasing alcoholic beverages only in specialized stores and never taking alcohol from your hands, even if you are seduced by the low price. Remember that the percentage of deaths from methyl alcohol ingestion (which is what is present in surrogates) is extremely high.

vsezavisimosti.ru

How does EGAIS work?

All alcohol producers and importers label each unit of product (keg, bottle, etc.). The manufacturer affixes federal special stamps, and the importer affixes excise stamps. The 2D barcode on each bottle contains:

name of alcoholic products,

manufacturer information,

licenses,

date of bottling of the drink and its other unique characteristics.

The warehouseman of a retail store, in the process of accepting alcohol into the warehouse, is required to process invoices from suppliers through the Unified State Automated Information System.

To meet the technical requirements, each retail outlet must have a computer with a universal transport module (UTM) and an Internet connection. You also need a JaCarta crypto key with a qualified signature. The merchandiser must carry out acceptance in a modified store inventory system that can work with EGAIS, or in a third-party software product.

When selling alcohol, the cashier uses a scanner to read the barcode from the bottle. The store's cash register program, modified to meet the requirements of EGAIS, sends information from the bar via the Internet to the FS RAR server for verification. After successful verification, the system generates a unique QR code for the receipt and the alcohol is released to the buyer.

The buyer receives a receipt with a QR code (even if he bought several bottles of alcohol, one QR code is printed on the receipt).

yamobi.ru

Only through EGAIS

In April of this year, the EGAIS system was introduced in Russia. Which, according to the developers, should have completely eliminated the possibility of “burnt” alcohol getting onto the shelves of all stores. As practice has shown, EGAIS really works. Each tax stamp is unique and it is in the database. But it is impossible to sell alcohol with fake excise stamps if you have an Internet connection. If there is no connection, then it is better to buy alcohol in another store or wait until the information from the cash register is sent to EGAIS.

“By reading the QR code with your phone, you can confirm the legality of alcohol. Check product parameters, time, address, store name. Although, the seller knows that the buyer has such a document in his hands and will be able to check the legality of each bottle. Thus, the likelihood of fraud when selling through EGAIS with scanning a tax stamp and printing a receipt with a QR code is negligible. In addition, when selling alcohol through EGAIS, it is debited from the store’s balance sheet. Obviously, if a store bought 100 bottles and sold 120, then something is wrong and there will be an inspection. This again protects the buyer from counterfeit goods,” the expert commented.

The conclusion suggests itself - alcohol should only be purchased in well-known brand markets, where the goods go through the cash register. And no sales of whiskey, tequila, cognac on the Internet! These drinks, if they are real, a priori cannot be cheap.

Which smartphone app helps you spot a fake?

To check any bottle you need to install it on your phone free application "Anti-Counterfeit Alco". The program is available on the App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone. Based on the “ingenious” design and the excessive amount of data that is required to be entered for registration, it immediately becomes clear that the application was developed by the state. But nevertheless it works.

Where is methyl and where is ethyl?

Ethyl alcohol, also known as drinking, food or medical alcohol, also known as ethanol, also known as a substance with the chemical formula C2H5OH, is the basis of all alcoholic beverages - but not surrogates. Surrogate booze is created on the basis of methyl alcohol or methanol. It is a pure poison to the body, so being able to distinguish it at home from the relatively safe ethanol can be vital.

One way is as follows: the liquid that is in doubt should be poured into a metal container and put on fire. Next, we measure the temperature of the alcohol at the moment of boiling - ethanol boils at 78°C, technical methanol already at 64°C.

Another option. A black copper wire heated over a fire should be dipped into cold medical alcohol - if during the reaction of copper oxide with aldehyde the smell of vinegar appears, then it is ethyl alcohol; if the liquid emits an unpleasant, pungent odor, it is methyl alcohol.

You can also test alcohol “for honesty” in this way. IN a small amount of alcohol, add a little baking soda, mix it well and see if a precipitate forms in the liquid. An insoluble yellow precipitate forms when iodine reacts with ethanol, while methanol remains pure and transparent.

informatio.ru Lungs hurt

When purchasing alcohol in a store, few ordinary consumers pay attention to the protective excise tax. But a tax stamp on alcohol is often a guarantee of the purchase of a quality drink (provided that the stamp is genuine). If the bottle is covered with a fake excise tax (parcel), then the likelihood of buying burnt alcohol is too high, which can lead to a disastrous outcome, including death. We’ll look at the material below to learn how to check alcohol using the excise stamp and insure yourself against possible poisoning.

Basic rules for purchasing quality alcohol

To avoid purchasing a “palenka” that is falsely protected by a fake excise tax, you must follow a number of specific recommendations:

Choose the right place to buy. Avoid small shops (unless they are branded), underground stalls, etc. It is best to purchase alcohol in specialized markets or in large large chain stores. There, the likelihood that the network will distribute counterfeit alcoholic drinks is negligible.
Look at the cost. Good alcohol cannot be cheap. If you are trying to buy a famous cognac at a reduced price, there is probably something wrong here. The fake is obvious.
Pay attention to appearance bottles. A high-quality drink is bottled in a good bottle that does not have any irregularities in the casting. In addition, a high-quality bottle may have various notches, threads, etc. Carefully inspect the cap/stopper for strength and durability. The drink should not leak, and the lid/stopper itself should not turn or be poorly wrapped.
Look at the label. As a rule, the drink label is printed on good paper with precise letter placement. The paint does not smear, and the paper has a holographic manufacturer's mark. At the same time, on the label on the back of the bottle, in small but clear print, information about the manufacturer (legal address and production address) must be indicated, and there must also be links to all legal documents of the manufacturer.

Particular attention to excise duty

It is worth knowing that checking alcohol using a tax stamp is the surest way to determine the authenticity of a drink. Because large manufacturers do not save on parcels. Underground workers significantly reduce excise tax costs by using counterfeit stamps.

Important: to independently check the authenticity of the purchased product at home, you can use the special information register of the Unified Social Portal of the Russian Alcohol Market or, in other words, through the Unified State Automated Information Service. Here it will be enough to enter the numbers from the excise stamp (codes) in the field of the site and information about the drink will appear on the screen of the automated<системы. Соответствие купленного товара и полученного результата говорит о подлинности алкоголя.

Excise tax by color and type of alcohol

If you don’t know how to distinguish alcohol from fake alcohol, then, firstly, the excise stamp on a bottle of alcohol can be identified by color. That is, each specific type of drink has a parcel of a certain color, and deviation from the norm indicates the non-authenticity of the drink. In particular, the hierarchy of colors by type of alcohol is as follows:

Alcoholic drinks with an alcohol content of 25% or more have an orange-pink color;
Drinks with an alcohol content of 9-25% (except wine) are marked with gray-red excise tax;
The wine has a yellow-green excise color;
Champagne and sparkling wines are covered with yellow-blue excise tax;
Wines with an alcohol content of 15-22% are labeled lilac-green.

Determining the quality of excise tax in the store

It is worth knowing that in order to avoid counterfeiting, the parcel, just like a banknote, is printed on special paper that has several degrees of protection. At the same time, visually the excise tax must be perfectly smooth and pasted strictly in a single plane.

Important: if a bottle of a drink is stored on store shelves for a long time, and was previously stored in a warehouse, then the brand may somewhat lose its original appearance, but the protective marks do not disappear anywhere.

Tip: the easiest way to verify the authenticity of the excise tax is to use a special scanner, which is available in every large store. The buyer has the right to ask the market administration to use this scanner and use the number to identify the authenticity of alcoholic beverages or their counterfeit, if he doubts the quality and authenticity of the drink.

Visually, the differences between an excise parcel can be determined by the following characteristics:

Number clarity. The number can be used to check the excise duty and identify a counterfeit through the information resource of excise stamps.
Durability and clarity of paint and characters. That is, when you touch the excise tax, the paint does not rub off and does not remain on your fingers. And all the characters are printed clearly and evenly.
Geometry of excise tax. The state stamp must be perfectly rectangular, without torn edges or cuts.
Stamp on the back of the excise tax. Here it is worth knowing that the letters RF are always applied on the reverse side of the stamp with brown paint. In this case, the brand is indicated by the inscription “alcohol products”. The inscription must be luminescent.
Yellow coloring of excise tax. So, if you treat brand paper with a special indicator “Ts2”, the excise tax will turn yellow.
Microtext. The upper part of the parcel code contains a special microtext that can be viewed if you have 100% vision. Thus, in a negative image (that is, in a mirror image), the word “brand” is printed, and in a positive format the abbreviation FSM is printed.
Hologram image. We also pay attention to the hologram. In general, it should be a complex geometric pattern, and on the code, in the center of it, the letters RF are located in rhombuses.
Gold stripe on parcels. It should not just be painted on the excise paper, but should be woven into the paper in the form of threads. Moreover, this feature is clearly visible on a quality stamp. Sometimes you can even pull the thread and it will give way.

Resolution of controversial situations

If it happens that, despite all the knowledge about excise tax, you suspect the poor quality of the product, then in order to make justified claims, you can go the following ways:

Contact one of the accredited laboratories in the city and submit the drink there for analysis. It is important to pay attention that the laboratory is accredited according to one of the systems (GOST R, SAAL and Rospotrebnadzor). This will indicate the competence of the laboratory and the evidence of the results obtained.

Important: the buyer bears the costs of conducting an examination of an alcoholic beverage if he wants to distinguish a fake. In the future, if the low quality of the drink is proven in court, the manufacturer or those responsible for selling low-quality goods are obliged to reimburse the consumer for all costs incurred. And the administrative punishment (fine) incurred will wean off amateurs counterfeit goods work in a similar way.

Return the defective product and the receipt for its purchase to the retail outlet where the alcohol was purchased.
Send a letter of complaint to the city department of commerce.
File a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor.
Write a statement to the district police department against the outlet that sold you low-quality alcohol. As a result, anyone who counterfeits alcohol should be punished accordingly.

Important: in all letters/applications it is necessary to indicate all data on the drink and the purchase of alcohol (name, manufacturer, date and place of alcohol bottling, date and place of purchase). It is important to attach receipts (copies of receipts) and a photo of the drink. Within 30 days, officials MUST respond to the application/letter and issue you a written response.

31.08.16 68 579 0

Fake alcohol

How not to ruin the holiday

From January to July 2016, 4.5 thousand people died in Russia due to alcohol poisoning. The reason was not only vodka with technical alcohol, but also whiskey made from powder, cognac tinted with sawdust and wine made from apple juice with alcohol.

Asya Chelovan

marketer

Finding out the quality of alcohol before you are taken away in an ambulance is quite problematic. To stay healthy, let’s figure out how to spot a fake.

Bottle appearance

Let's say Oleg Tinkov produces Tinkoffsky cognac. The vineyards and the factory are located in Russia, therefore, as connoisseurs will note, “Tinkoffsky” is, strictly speaking, brandy.

In order to make the best brandy in Russia, no worse than that from the Cognac province, Oleg studied the Charente technology of cognac production, purchased French equipment “Prulot”, brought barrels from seventy-year-old Tronçais oak, built a factory in Crimea, and grew vineyards with “folle blanche” varieties " and "colombard", and ordered the master of assemblage from Armenia.

Oleg launched production himself and gave the drink his own name, because he is responsible for quality. Any counterfeit is a blow to his name, so Oleg tries to protect his product and is attentive to details. This can be seen even in the bottles in which the drink is bottled.

Before buying expensive alcohol, open the official website of the manufacturer - there are enough photographs there that show the shape of the bottle, the features of the labels, and the details of the engravings. It is difficult to fake all the details and markings of a bottle. Here's what you should pay attention to:

What to look for when buying a bottle

Oleg Tinkov's signature on shrink film

Bottle in the shape of the Tinkoff Bank coat of arms

Label with embossed name

Excise stamp “Cognac” with the name of the drink, manufacturer and container volume

Back label with a description of the drink, composition and storage conditions

Embossed name of cognac

Unfortunately, even the original bottle does not guarantee the quality of the contents. Empty used bottles of famous drinks are sold on eBay. A fake drink can be prepared from concentrate and alcohol:

Excise stamp

An excise stamp is a sign that the manufacturer has paid tax on alcohol. The state knows that such a bottle exists, and, in theory, is responsible for the quality of its contents. However, last year 15 million deciliters of alcohol with counterfeit brands were sold in Russia. Even if taxes were not paid for these bottles, it is much worse not knowing what kind of liquid was bottled.

Drinks are classified by strength and composition, and excise taxes for each class vary by color. There are four main excise stamps for strong alcohol and nine for wine. FS RAR even published a brochure with a description of each brand.

Some of the excise taxes appeared only in 2015, so in the store you will more often see cognac labeled “Strong Spirits” than “Cognac”. And sake can be both a “wine drink” and “an alcoholic drink over 9 to 25%.” It's all confusing.

It’s easier to check the brand using the application of the Federal Service “Rosalkogolregulirovanie” - “Anti-Counterfeit Alco”. It is available for iPhones, Android and Windows smartphones. The iPhone app is not currently available, but may be available later.

If you fundamentally do not want to install the FS RAR application, check that the stamp has a hologram and barcode, the color is not solid, and the name matches the content stated on the label. The stamp must fit tightly on the bottle; it is made on an adhesive basis. If the stamp has come off a little, it is better not to take the drink.

Receipt in store

Since July 1, 2016, a control system for alcohol sales has been in effect in Russia - EGAIS, its use is mandatory for all alcohol sellers.

The EGAIS system receives data from manufacturers, importers, wholesale suppliers and retail stores. For violation of the rules, legal entities are fined in the amount of 150,000 to 200,000 rubles.

Sellers who work according to the rules issue a special receipt with a QR code.

The EGAIS check will not be issued:

if you buy beer;
if you ordered alcohol in a cafe or restaurant;
if you buy alcohol in a village of up to 3 thousand people: they will start issuing these checks only from July 2017.

In the cities of Crimea, EGAIS will work only in 2017, and in small settlements on the peninsula - in 2018.

In other cases - if you are not in Crimea, not in a village and you buy alcohol stronger than beer - the seller is obliged to issue a receipt. Such a receipt is a guarantee that they are selling you legal alcohol.

Before buying alcohol, ask the seller if they work for EGAIS. If they don't work, leave. If a store sells alcohol without EGAIS, most likely the supplier did not enter it into the system either. It’s unlikely that anyone will be responsible for the quality of “invisible” alcohol.

If the store operates according to the rules, the seller first scans the barcode, then the excise stamp, and then issues a special receipt with a QR code.

Regular check

EGAIS check

“Signature” of the cash register on which the receipt is punched

To read a QR code, you need to install a program on your smartphone - the aforementioned “Anti-Counterfeit Alco” FS RAR or a regular scanner. I use the Kaspersky Lab application, but the tool is not important here. If you don’t want to install anything or the QR is not readable - this also happens - type the link from the receipt directly into the browser line.

The link will open the Federal Tax Service website: pay attention to the date and time of sale - it should not differ from the real one. The information in the “Series and stamp numbers” block must match the inscription on the label and the data on the excise stamp.

Check the date and time of purchase

The same text should be on the stamp

If you were given a receipt with the correct information, the alcohol is real. The store would not be able to accept and sell alcohol that is not in the state register.

When to check

You need to check the bottle for the excise stamp before you take it to the checkout.

Alcohol, like other food products, cannot be replaced or returned. Therefore, if you gave the money, the seller may refuse to accept the drink back and return the money.

In this case, you can try to back out of the transaction: failure to issue a receipt or incorrect information on it can be considered a violation of the consumer's right to information.

If you fail to cancel the purchase, simply warn the seller about what you will do next. And you need to act like this:

Write an application to the FS RAR and Rospotrebnadzor.
If the FS RAR application is installed, report the violation through it.
If there is no application, then report the incident to the FS RAR portal. In the application, write that you were sold alcohol without an EGAIS receipt, indicate the date, address of the store, attach a photo of the bottle and the receipt if you were given a regular one.

And, of course, do not drink if there is even the slightest doubt about the authenticity of the drink.

The smell of the drink

If you do not have a sense of smell and experience as a sommelier, then you are unlikely to be able to distinguish by smell whether it is French cognac or something bottled at a small factory in the Moscow region.

If you are lucky enough to have a keen sense of smell, then let the drink sit in the glass for a few minutes. The aroma has disappeared, but the smell of alcohol remains - this is a fake, don’t risk it.

When producing counterfeit alcohol, methyl alcohol is often used instead of ethyl alcohol, which does not differ in smell and taste. Methyl is a technical alcohol, which, when it enters the human body, decomposes to dangerous substances - formaldehyde and formic acid. 30 ml of methyl alcohol will kill a healthy adult man.

Symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning: nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, pain throughout the body. If you feel this is happening to you, call an ambulance before it’s too late. Doctors will rinse the stomach and infuse ethyl alcohol.

Remember

Pay attention to the price. Elite alcohol for 500 rubles is a fake.
If you are going to buy expensive alcohol, look at the manufacturer’s website to see what the bottle looks like.
If you know that you will be buying alcohol in an unfamiliar place, download the Anti-Counterfeit Alko application in advance - iPhone (currently unavailable), Android and Windows. You will use it to check both the excise stamp and the receipt.
Check the excise stamps: they must be tightly affixed, have a hologram, lot number, and the color must match the contents.
Ask if the store operates according to EGAIS. If it doesn't work, don't buy it.
If you were not given a EGAIS check with a QR code, warn the seller that you will complain to Rospotrebnadzor and the FS RAR.
If you were given a receipt with a QR code, be sure to check it. If the code is not readable, try entering the link below it.
Always check whether the information on the link matches what is indicated on the paper receipt: store TIN, date and time of sale, position on the receipt.

Consultants: prof. Georgy Aleksandrovich Livanov, prof. Alexander Nikolaevich Petrov, lawyer Vladimir Belyaev

The excise stamp of a product indicates that the product has passed the GOST test and fully complies with the declared quality. Stamps have various types of protection, for the creation of which special technologies and materials are used.

It is quite difficult and financially expensive to counterfeit all levels of protection, so those involved in clandestine production often reproduce only certain levels of protection. So if any security feature is missing or does not meet the standard, this indicates a fake.

Large retail outlets should have a special scanner that helps identify the authenticity of excise stamps. To use this service, you should contact the administrator with a request to provide the opportunity to check the products. If the scanner confirms a discrepancy, the excise stamp is fake; if no differences are found, this, unfortunately, is not a 100% guarantee of authenticity.

If the scanner shows that the stamp is genuine, but you still have doubts, you can contact the Forensic Science Center to conduct a forensic examination.

If you check a brand yourself, without a scanner, you are faced with the task of finding the differences between this and the genuine brand. The brand type and its details are checked for compliance. It is important to understand that the fresher the brand, the higher the reliability of visual inspection. During long-term storage, it is subject to abrasion and moisture. It is also important what material the stamp is glued to. In any case, suspicion may be raised by:

uneven, crooked edges;
paint comes off quickly when rubbed with a fingernail.

Detailed instructions for checking excise tax stamps for alcohol have been developed by the Federal Service for Regulation of the Alcohol Market. The color of excise stamps depends on the type of product and can vary from pink-lilac to green-blue-yellow. The paper used for stamps is self-adhesive, without luminescence. There are two types of security fibers: red non-luminescent and yellow-red, luminescent.

On the reverse side, “RF” is printed in brown paint and there is a luminescent inscription “Alcohol products”. When processing paper with the “Ts-2” indicator, a yellow color will appear.

There is microtext at the top of the stamp. The word “brand” is written in the negative, and “FSM” is written in the positive.

The hologram is a complex pattern, in the center of which the inscription “RF” is located in rhombuses.

The inscription “Federal special stamp” gradually changes from a negative to a positive form (a special raster is used for this).

At the bottom of the stamp there is the inscription “RF”, the color of which varies from dark bronze to purple. Other methods of protection are also provided. On the website of the Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation, you can check the authenticity of the brand online.

Separate excise stamps are produced for tobacco products. Detailed requirements for excise taxes on imported goods into the Russian Federation can be found here. There are 11 types of excise stamps (“smoking tobacco”, “hookah tobacco”, “cigars”, “filter cigarettes”, etc.) The following main characteristics of the stamps can be identified:

the color of the stamp is an iris transition from blue to lilac, size 44X20 mm;
there are 2 blue squares that luminesce under UV radiation;
red protective fibers do not have luminescence, and yellow-red fibers have luminescence (yellow part) under the influence of UV;
The coat of arms of the Russian Federation should be printed on the left, with the repeated phrase “RUSSIA IMPORT” written around it in small print;
above the coat of arms is written “RUSSIA”, and in the center - “EXCICE STAMP” (a tobacco leaf is drawn above it, the type of tobacco product is indicated below it);
all inscriptions, coat of arms and drawings are printed in black paint;
“TOBACCO” is written across the middle (negative execution);
A letter (A, B, C, D) and 2 numbers should be printed at the top right: the letter indicates the quarter, and the numbers - the last 2 digits - the year when the stamp was produced;
On the right, the black stripe indicates the series of the brand.

As for brands of goods produced in the Russian Federation, they have a size of 47X21 mm. The stamp must contain the inscriptions “tobacco products”, “Russian Federation”, “special brand”. We use paper with a single-color light watermark (no luminescence is observed under ultraviolet light). The paper contains protective fibers (at least 2 types). Optically variable paint is used.

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the excise stamp, it is better not to purchase this product. Take care of your health, protect yourself from counterfeits, paying attention to at least the most memorable signs and designations.

sovetclub.ru

Methods for checking excise stamps for authenticity: practical recommendations

To recognize a counterfeit excise tax on alcohol-containing drinks, it is enough to carry out a visual inspection. There are some signs that should alert the buyer: the golden line running across the sticker is convex to the touch, it should not be erased, if desired, it can be removed by pulling one of the ends; if you rub the text printed on the side, it will remain unchanged, but on a counterfeit it can be easily erased or smeared with your finger; the holographic part of the sticker shimmers in different colors when turned and tilted, and if it just shines, this is a characteristic feature of a counterfeit; This excise tax has exceptionally smooth edges, and the paint does not leave marks on your hands.

Checking alcohol brands online

pochemy ya chitau s akcentom?

Isn’t there a unique bottle code on the code, punched through egais?

I thought there was. Although. Maybe someone knows how it works?

Moscow, Mega-Khimki works like this, a QR code with a link to EGAIS is directly printed on the receipt; this brand has a unique bottle code (PDF147 format) embedded in it, which is indicated when posting through EGAIS; when selling, a link to page with this check in the EGAIS system, and, for now, not necessarily, a QR code.

Check alcohol by excise stamp online EGAIS - checking stamps on the Rosalkogolregulirovanie website

In addition, the excise stamp represents an important source of information for the end consumer, confirming the quality of the product and compliance with government standards.

Checking alcohol by excise stamp is available on the EGAIS information service - Checking Stamps.

Organizations that have a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, as well as authorized bodies, can check alcohol in this way.

Official website of Rosalkogolregulirovanie

If necessary, you must go through the registration procedure.

After that, select the “Verification by barcode” tab, enter the code from the presented image and scan the excise stamp, having previously placed the cursor in column number 1.

To scan, you will need a scanner connected to the computer on which the verification procedure is carried out.

Barcode verification

After this, the scanned barcode will be sent for verification online, and a new line will be added to the check list, which will indicate the details of the excise stamp, the date and time of submitting your application for verification.

Save 100 TR or how to check excise stamps without a data collection terminal?

This article describes in detail the entire methodology for checking excise taxes online.

Use the PC on which you work with EGAIS; (everything we need is already installed on this PC);

You can see how to connect and configure everything here:

Checking brands on the website

To scan, you must use a scanner connected to your computer via a USB port. To view and print the inspection report, click the Print button.

The verification log will open. The inspection protocol will indicate: brand type, product type code, details of the organization that received the brand.

advokat-strelnikov.ru

Without exception, all alcoholic products that are imported into the territory of the Russian Federation must contain an excise stamp, the purpose of which is labeling of alcohol-containing liquid.

In fact, there is no need to decipher the excise tax, since all necessary information on the stamp is indicated in Russian and quite clear. For example, the excise stamp of alcoholic products may contain information: “Alcoholic goods from 9 to 256%” or “Alcoholic goods from 25%”, “Wines”, “Sparkling wine” and so on.

The definition of “Excise stamp” means fiscal document, which means full payment of the fee established on the territory of the Russian Federation for the sale of any product.

Excise stamps, which include the name “Alcoholic goods from 25%”, additionally contain information indicating the maximum volume of containers used for alcoholic products of this type.

It is located in close proximity to the excise number. Such an inscription may include “up to 100 grams”, “half a liter”, “no more than a liter”, “over 1 liter”.

In addition, the following information must be indicated on the stamp: “excise stamp” or “Russian Federation”. The presence of such information indicates registration of alcoholic products and full payment of all fees by the manufacturer or distributor.

In the Russian Federation, in addition to alcoholic products, excise tax is applied to tobacco-containing goods and cigarettes. Until recently, it was required for sugar, shag and pepper.

The definition of "EGAIS" means unified state system, which is fully automated and contains a database of information on alcoholic products. All alcohol that is produced on the territory of the Russian Federation or imported into the country, must be indicated in the Unified State Automated Information System.

By and large, the EGAIS system is a tool for careful control of the turnover of alcoholic beverages in the Russian Federation.

The main task of the system is to try to significantly reduce the circulation of counterfeit alcohol throughout the country. Moreover, every company that manufactures or sells alcohol-containing products must enter detailed information about it into the system.

If information is not provided in the system, companies face criminal and administrative liability in the form of huge fines. According to the developers themselves, the introduction of such a system made it possible to reduce the volume of sales of counterfeit goods by at least 40%, which already indicates the positive results of the work of the Unified State Automated Information System.

The basic rules that must be followed when choosing alcohol are: next:

Initially, you need to remember place of purchase of goods. The purchase of alcohol must be directly related to those companies that have issued the appropriate license. It is strictly prohibited to purchase from hand, in any tents, kiosks, or station areas. It is highly undesirable to purchase alcohol online (via the Internet), unless, of course, the buyer is confident in the honesty of the store.

Once the place of purchase has been chosen correctly, you need to start product selection. It is necessary to study the appearance of the container. You should not opt for a defective bottle. If it has scratches, chips, etc., it is better to refuse the purchase. This is especially true for a possible tear or complete absence of the excise stamp, which often occurs.
Necessary avoid alcohol at low prices. It is important to remember: it is better to buy less, but better.

By following simple rules, you can avoid purchasing counterfeit alcohol. During the verification process, it is necessary to remember that the label must include:

name of the product on which it is applied and the manufacturer;
information about the location of the manufacturer;
detailed information on alcohol capacity (displayed as a percentage);
container volume;
detailed information about the composition of the product (often indicates the type of alcohol itself - luxury, extra, etc., as well as additional components);
what is the shelf life of alcoholic beverages?
information about the document on the basis of which the alcohol production process takes place;
information that confirms quality compliance.

Don’t forget to also require a license to sell alcoholic beverages. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, any buyer has the full legal right to demand a package of permits from the seller, and only then purchase the products of interest. As for the excise stamp, today there are many ways to check it.

Today, smartphone owners have a unique opportunity - check special federal excise stamps through the application.

The application was developed by specialists from Rosalkogolregulirovanie and is called "Anti-counterfeitinfo". Thanks to its use, you can easily identify excise violations.

The work concludes with a method of pointing a smartphone camera at a barcode. In addition, the application contains a list of stores that are located near the user and have all the documents and licenses necessary for operation.

Detailed instructions for using the application are as follows: next(it can be used anywhere, be it a cafe, restaurant, store, and so on):

You need to download the application from Google Play.
After downloading and installing, you need to launch it; the main window will show a map of where legal points of sale of alcoholic beverages are located. It is possible, if the user wishes, to link the map to his location.
At the bottom of the main application window there is a subcategory “Scan”. When you try to go to it, the main camera of the smartphone will be activated. The application will ask you to point the camera at the barcode of the alcohol brand or the QR code on the receipt after purchase.
After this, the application reads all the necessary information and displays it on the smartphone screen. The user is provided with: the route of the goods, information about manufacturers, and so on.

If we talk about checking the reliability of FSM or AM, it is initially necessary to remember about the official specially developed service by specialists of Rosalkogolregulirovanie.

The opportunity to check alcohol excise stamps is available through the official portal of the Federal Service dealing with the regulation of the alcohol market at fsrar.ru. The service is called "Checking brands".

Manufacturing companies that have a license and regulatory authorities have access to inspection.

The capabilities of the service allow you to identify illegal alcohol products in a matter of minutes information verification method, which is printed on the stamp, and information entered into the EGAIS system.

The step-by-step algorithm for checking in this way is as follows: next:

You need to go to the official portal of Rosalkogolregulirovanie fsrar.ru and select the appropriate subsection with the name “Electronic services for companies/organizations”.
Next, from the proposed list, select the additional category “Electronic services of Rosalkogolregulirovanie for companies/organizations.”
At the next stage, you will be asked to provide a password and TIN. It is possible to register in the system.
Then you need to select “Check brands” and click on the “Add” button.
After reading the information from the barcode, you must enter it in the appropriate field.

Based on the information provided, the system will generate a request, after which it will be available within a few minutes. information regarding brand details and so on.

If desired, it is possible to print out the received information, which is indicated in the EGAIS system. To do this, just press the key "Seal".

In such a request, you must indicate the need to connect to the service of a certain person, who is a trusted representative of the company and responsible for work in this system. His personal information and email address must be indicated.

Another option that can speak with 100% confidence about the authenticity of the verification is conducting an examination. However, in most cases it is necessary to use it by the relatives of the victim or by law enforcement agencies (if a case of death from the use of alcoholic beverages is identified).

The examination is carried out "Center for Pre-trial Investigations". The test is carried out by decomposing the liquid into molecules and other components, which make it easy to identify the conformity of ethyl alcohol and the possible fact of its counterfeit.

They will not ignore the excise stamp of alcohol, and they will even be able to identify the equipment on which it was made. Unfortunately, this type of verification is very rarely used.

A news release on how to spot counterfeit alcohol is below.

Copying of materials is permitted only when using an active link to this site.

lubovnaya.ru

Basic moments

Every year, a huge number of smuggled alcohol products are discovered in Russia, the use of which can cause irreparable harm to health.

To eliminate the possibility of getting low-quality products, you can use various methods to check the excise stamp for authenticity.

Before studying the main issue, it is initially recommended to familiarize yourself with basic theoretical information and regulations.

What it is

By and large, there is no need to decipher the excise tax, since all the necessary key data on the stamp is indicated in Russian.

For example, the following information may be indicated on an alcohol excise stamp:

“Alcohol products from 10 to 40%”;
“Alcohol products from 20%”;
“Wine” or “Sparkling wine (popularly referred to as Champagne)”;
and so on.

Types of brands are divided depending on the strength of the drink. “Excise stamp” means fiscal documentation that provides the opportunity to legally confirm payment of the tax for the sale of a specific type of product in Russia.

On those excise stamps that contain the name “Alcohol goods from 25%”, additional information is indicated that can display the maximum container used for alcohol from this category.

It is located in close proximity to the excise number. The inscription can have one of the following types:

“no more than 100 grams”;
“no more than 0.5 liters”;
“up to 1 liter”;
“more than 1 liter.”

The excise stamp, which is directly used for alcoholic goods with the lowest alcohol content, may not contain data regarding the maximum container volume.

The presence of such information indicates registration of an alcoholic product and payment in full by the manufacturer or distributor of all fees established by law.

Penalties for counterfeiting

In accordance with Federal Law No. 171, responsibility for the reliable application and authenticity of marks lies with persons who are engaged not only in the production of alcoholic products, but also in:

supplies;
import;
retail sales.

The procedure for the production and sale of alcoholic products without appropriate labeling or with obvious violations of Russian legislation entails liability on the basis of Art. 15.12 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Criminal liability is provided in accordance with Article 171.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the event of:

acquisitions;
manufacturing;
possible storage;
transportation and sale of goods without appropriate labeling.

Criminal liability in accordance with Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation also arises due to:

production;
forgery and sale of falsified documentation, stamps, forms.

Responsibility may entail a significant fine or imprisonment.

Current standards

The main regulatory document is rightfully considered Federal Law No. 171, which specifies a list of persons directly responsible for the application of reliable and authentic excise stamps.

Liability for the use of falsified excise stamps is regulated by:

This list is not exhaustive, but it includes basic data on the issue of bringing to justice in the case of the use of falsified excise stamps.

How to check the excise stamp for alcohol in Russia

In 2018, you can check the excise alcohol stamp for authenticity in one of the following ways:

using specialized mobile applications;
using specialized official government services on the Internet.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

By what criteria to look

By following standard and at the same time simple rules, you can easily avoid the possibility of purchasing smuggled alcoholic beverages.

During the inspection, you must pay attention to the contents of the label itself. In particular, it should include:

Full product name	Which was actually applied, including the manufacturer
Information about the manufacturer's location address	Its production capacity
Details regarding alcohol content	In percentage terms
Container volume	—
Composition details	In most cases, the label indicates that the alcohol belongs to one of the categories - luxury, extra, and so on.
Expiration date of alcohol	—
Documentation Details	On the basis of which the legal process of alcohol production was initiated
Data regarding confirmation	Product quality

Additional nuances include the temperature regime of storage, since in case of violation, the shelf life is significantly reduced.

For your information, each buyer, in accordance with Russian legislation, reserves the right to demand an appropriate license from the seller.

Self-authentication

Let's take a closer look at how to determine the quality of alcohol based on the excise stamp. Self-checking can have several varieties.

Being vigilant

In this case, we are talking about carefully studying the description of alcohol on the bottle and removing some important features.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the fact of counterfeiting entails the need for considerable financial costs, which is why scammers try to reduce the cost of the procedure as much as possible.

When choosing alcohol, you need to pay attention to:

possible barcode application by inkjet printing;
presence or absence of foil holography.

It is these protections that are often tested.

Scanning process

If you are purchasing alcohol not in a kiosk, but in a store that respects its reputation, it must have a special scanner.

Perhaps it is located with the administrator. It is enough to scan the excise stamp for a specialized device to check its authenticity. A consultation with a consultant will provide you with all the necessary information.

Video: solving the problem of unreadable excise stamps

By following the recommendations, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of purchasing counterfeit alcohol.

jurist-protect.ru

How to spot a fake yourself

1. Mindfulness

Inkjet stamp number;
Barcode;
Foil holographic image;
Information about the manufacturing plant, security level, release date.

2. Scan

3. Measure seven times

Each excise sticker has its own size. For alcoholic beverages it is installed in two versions: 90×26 and 62×21. If the dimensions do not correspond to those specified, or have uneven or wrinkled edges, you should be wary.

Another nuance is that on a large stamp the upper part is separated from the larger lower golden thread. It does not erase, does not smudge, and can be pulled out of the paper if necessary.

4. Little tricks

Knowing about them, identifying the original will not be difficult. Such invisible signs of originality include:

At the top of the text, the word “brand” is written in a negative stripe, and “FMS” in a positive one;
The hologram diamonds contain a pattern with the “RF” logo woven into it in the central part;
The strip with the inscription “Federal special stamp” gradually changing colors, goes from a negative print to a positive one;
The excise paper itself is made in the form of self-adhesive and does not have luminescence;
Fibers are scattered over the entire surface; they may be non-luminescent red or luminescent yellow-red.

Video instruction

Video instructions on how to distinguish a fake excise stamp from a real one

Checking via the Internet

There are several ways to check the protection of a liquor online.

Last chance

Conclusion

Until we meet again, Pavel Dorofeev.

vinodela.ru

Unscrupulous manufacturers use various methods to save on the production of vodka. For its production, low-quality alcohol is used, the number of filtration stages is reduced, and harmful substances are added. The consequences of consuming counterfeit alcohol will always be negative: you cannot avoid a severe hangover, health problems, and in especially severe cases, death is possible. How to check the authenticity of vodka yourself?

Alcohol classification

The alcohol that is the basis of vodka comes in several categories. Types differ in the quality of purification from methanol and impurities, as well as in manufacturing technology. The alcohol category is indicated on the product label. Using this classification, you can determine the approximate quality of vodka. There are 4 categories of alcohol.

Economy Such vodka can attract only its low price. It's easy to spot by its cheap bottle and simple label. Vodka of the Economy category is prepared from highly purified alcohol, but few filtration measures are carried out during the production process. Many harmful impurities remain in the drink, including an increased percentage of methanol. Vodka in this category is the easiest to counterfeit.
Standard. This drink is prepared on the basis of “Extra” alcohol, which goes through more degrees of purification. The quality of this vodka is acceptable, it is bottled in more expensive bottles and uses interesting labels.
Premium Vodka in this category belongs to elite drinks. It is prepared from “Lux” alcohol, which contains an acceptable percentage of methanol (0.02-0.03%). The water used to make such vodka is completely purified from toxic impurities.
Super premium. It’s clear from the name that this vodka contains absolutely no harmful additives. To make it, they take the highest quality alcohol, and also use some secrets. It is highly valuable and very difficult to counterfeit.

Vodka made from Alpha alcohol belongs to a separate category. It contains a very low percentage of methanol: 0.003%. This alcohol is made from rye, wheat or a mixture of these cereals. You should choose vodka with Alpha alcohol, which does not have additional ingredients. The price will be lower, and the quality will suffer.

Excise stamp

A distinctive sign such as an excise stamp will protect consumers from purchasing low-quality alcohol. How can you independently identify a fake from this sticker?

First, you need to carefully examine the excise form. It must contain information about the manufacturing plant, production date and brand number. The excise tax also necessarily contains a barcode and a holographic image. Bottles with low-quality or counterfeit vodka usually do not have such data.

Secondly, checking using a scanner is possible. Such a device should be present in any large store selling alcoholic beverages. Currently, there are applications that can be installed on a smartphone in order to be able to scan the excise stamp online at any time (on the website https://service.fsrar.ru/). This process will allow you to obtain all the data about the product and determine whether its sale is legal.

Thirdly, the excise stamp must be assessed externally. A bottle with a high-quality alcoholic drink will have a neat sticker with strict dimensions: 90 by 26 mm or 62 by 21 mm.

Other verification methods

How to determine the quality of already purchased alcohol? You can check the authenticity of vodka at home using a number of indicators.

Weight. The vodka label indicates that its strength is 40 degrees. This means that water and alcohol are present in it in a strict ratio of 60:40. You can check the correctness of these proportions at home in a simple way: just weigh the vodka. If alcohol and water are added in the specified volume, 1 liter of finished vodka will weigh 953 g.
Smell. The first glass you pour must be judged by its smell. The aroma of vodka should be inhaled deeply: if it turns out to be sharp, very unpleasant, this product should not be consumed. Most likely, the drink turned out to be counterfeit; in addition to food grade alcohol, it contained industrial alcohol, which is dangerous to human health and life.
Combustion. How to check the quality of vodka using fire? You need to pour the drink into a spoon and set it on fire. Burnt vodka will flare up sharply or not at all. High-quality alcohol will produce a low blue flame. The sediment remaining in the spoon after burning real vodka will not have an unpleasant odor.
Freezing. It is common knowledge that alcohol does not freeze. However, if you keep vodka in the freezer for an hour or two, you can see pieces of ice in it. This proven method will show: if there are a lot of ice floes, the vodka is fake, since it is foreign impurities and water that freeze.
Chemical analysis. To determine the presence of harmful impurities in vodka, you will need sulfuric acid. Mix equal parts of alcohol and sulfuric acid. If the liquid turns black, it contains an increased amount of fusel oils. Such a drink will be harmful to the body. If there is no sulfuric acid, you can check the quality of vodka using litmus paper. It is necessary to dip its edge in alcohol and immediately evaluate it. If the paper turns red, the vodka contains acids that are added to the drink during the production process in order to increase the degree.

These methods are proven and the most effective for independently determining the quality of vodka. But even after making sure of the authenticity of the drink, you should drink it in moderation, assessing your state of health, age, and body characteristics.