Traceability and authentication are words we’re hearing a lot of at the moment. Companies across the board are investing heavily in solutions that help them keep track of their products - whether it’s at different stages of the production process, or simply ensuring customers are getting what they paid for rather than a cheap imitation. And while the pharmaceutical industry has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to brand protection, other sectors are fast catching up. The food and beverage and luxury sectors, while not under as much regulatory pressure as pharmaceuticals, are increasingly vulnerable to counterfeiting.

Here are some of the solutions companies are using to keep their brand, and their customers, safe:

• Track-and-trace labelling solutions and serialisation: according to Europol, counterfeit medications were the top most seized counterfeited products last year. These issues coupled with regulatory obligations make serialisation one of the pharmaceutical industry’s main tools in the fight against IP theft.
• Barcodes and QR codes: Quick response (QR) codes and traditional barcodes are currently the most widespread option for the food sector.
• Holography: despite millions of dollars per year spent on legal fees and distribution controls, counterfeiting remains a major struggle for the luxury sector. Brands are increasingly turning to holography as an overt anti-counterfeiting and authentication method. Holograms can be customised exclusively to fit individual brands and are extremely difficult for fraudsters to reproduce. What’s more, they are instantly recognisable to consumers, helping to increase brand trust.