A state-of-the-art review of the chemical composition of sugarcane spirits and current advances in quality control

•The chemical composition of both fresh and aged sugarcane spirits was reviewed.•The contaminants found in sugarcane spirits are potentially harmful to humans.•Chemometrics and artificial intelligence were useful in interpreting results.•Computer vision enables verification of fraud, adulteration, or non-compliance.•It is necessary to intensify the quality assessment of these products.