Analysis

Alcosuisse relies on an independent laboratory specialised in alcohol analysis to carry out the highly specialised and comprehensive analyses. The raw products are unloaded at Alcosuisse only after they have been checked and released according to its strict specifications. The raw products are subjected to extensive organoleptic testing and then assigned to the corresponding channels for the various Alcosuisse ethanol products. This organoleptic testing involves a double panel, i.e. two completely separate test panels each with at least 10 highly experienced professional tasters carry out the tests according to a standardised, computer-based procedure. This exact, taste-based assignment of the raw products is crucial for the quality of the end products distributed by Alcosuisse because certain impurities can be detected only by taste. After the analytical and organoleptic process steps described above, all grades are filtered at least twice: with 5 µm filtration as standard on product entry and exit, or even with 1 µm filtration for especially high-quality product grades. As a result, Alcosuisse can react to differing customer needs with individually tailored products. For pharmaceutical clients, the requirements of the European and Swiss Pharmacopoeias represent the minimum standard. In the food sector, Alcosuisse satisfies the requirements of EU Regulation 625/2003 and the Swiss Food Manual.