Counterfeiting is one of those dirty "public" secrets in the tobacco world. Everyone knows that there is falsification and that counterfeiting can cause harm. However, no one knows how deep this wound is, and they cannot explain exactly how much damage is done by fraud.
More and more tobacco companies are looking for solutions to counterfeit issues and related thefts and hand-backs. These companies often incorporate solutions to these problems into their packaging. Now, there are even technologies that can identify products on site or in the lab.
Tobacco companies have found that safety is not an easy task because some methods are also easily counterfeited by counterfeiters. Everyone is beginning to realize that coating safety applications—whether explicitly or implicitly—are necessary, and that these applications must be supported by aggressively conducted identification and execution plans.
The problem is not just loss of income. In the past few years, some tobacco companies have established a large number of brand equity that they must protect. The sale of counterfeit cigarettes or cigars whose product quality or packaging is very poor will keep consumers away from these brands. If the package has taint or odor, this may even cause the company to bear the notoriety of no guarantee of quality. Brand equity may be one of the most valuable assets of tobacco companies.
There is a vacuum in the opportunity to develop a solution, and material suppliers, processors and high-tech companies are eager to fill this vacuum. Some companies have developed a fairly good technology, but the scope of application of this technology is often limited. As a result, they are not close to providing a thorough solution. Collaborating with companies that combine various elements such as packaging inks and taggants, it is a good idea to produce a comprehensive solution that is truly effective in the market.
Difficulties
In choosing to ensure product safety, tobacco companies face three difficult factors that must be overcome: quantity, speed, and price. For example, due to the large number of cigarettes produced per day, it is virtually impossible to use safety applications on each cigarette. In addition, the cost of doing so is too great.
However, it is possible to incorporate safety methods into the design of primary packaging, carton wrapping, and banding. Through the visual or other effects generated by ink applications, tobacco companies can track the products they produce, verify the authenticity of the products, and take advantage of brand recognition features that are difficult to replicate to prevent their product copyright from being infringed.
In general, there are two basic types of security ink: implicit and explicit. Explicit security features are visible to consumers. These may include special pigments that have unique luster or color conversion capabilities and are often used as trademarks or logo colors to make it easier to identify genuine products. The hidden effect is hidden, and consumers can't see it, but if you know what to look for, then you can see these effects. These effect recognition may require special testing equipment.
Another possible security application is Radio Frequency Identification (FRID), which enables data to be transmitted by a mobile device called a tag. The RFID tag has an antenna that enables these tags to receive inquiries from the RFID transceiver and react to these inquiries. This label may contain special information about the product, such as the date and place of production, transit points, and so on. RFID tags have proven very useful in inventory control and supply chain management. However, the cost of these labels and the ability of tobacco processors to apply all of them to packaging still need to be addressed. It is not generally considered that RFID is an effective security device because it is very easy to arbitrarily alter and alter the data. Consumers also worry that the data stored in the RFID system may infringe their privacy.
Variable marker
Another possible solution is to use variable tags, which may include codes that provide important information about cigarettes, sources of cigarettes, and channels for cigarettes to reach the market.
