India, Aug. 31 -- Raman spectroscopy offers a new way to detect substances such as methanol inside sealed, coloured bottles without opening or damaging the container. By combining laser beam shaping with wavelength modulation, researchers have developed a technique that can overcome weak Raman signals and interference from packaging and fluorescence, enabling rapid, non-destructive screening.

The technology could have significant implications for food and beverage safety, counterfeit detection and product authentication, particularly for applications where large numbers of samples need to be screened across the supply chain. Beyond detecting methanol in alcoholic beverages, the approach could potentially be used to authenticate wines, id...