Digitally printed cartons and labels can incorporate a number of security, anticounterfeiting and track and trace features ranging from invisible and micro text to machine readable codes such as QR codes. Inherently each unit of primary packaging can also have a unique identifier using variable printing. At the recent Hunkeler Innovation days held at Lucerne from 23 to 26 February 2015, while the press featured at its stand was the new Xeikon 9800 for document and commercial printing, a representative demonstrated the extensive security features that are being produced by label and packaging converters using the Xeikon 3500 wide web press.
One of the security features shown to us at Hunkeler uses a small infra-red torch that is able to detect an invisible printed mark on the packaging. It gives a green light if the packaging is genuine or a red light if it is counterfeit. This is a simple device and system that can be used for monitoring and preventing counterfeiting at the retail side of the supply chain
