Sappi, the global producer of graphic and speciality papers and boards, has developed a solution to help fighting the problem of counterfeit packaging. Sappi papers and boards equipped with its new Identicate level 3 security system now enable brand owners to identify and authenticate their products, wherever they may be in the retail chain.

Each year losses and damage to world trade due to counterfeiting and piracy reach more than US$600 billion,” says Sappi’s Kris Verschueren, Marketing Manager Specialities.

Identicate is based on a random distribution of invisible marker particles on the surface of Sappi’s packaging materials. The particles are incorporated in such a way to avoid any visual or quality difference from its established brands such as Algro Design.

The particles are read by a scanner in a specific area of the packaging, for example next to the bar code. Each item rolling off the packaging line is given a unique 128-2000 bit fingerprint, encrypted using strong cryptography. This identification code is impossible to fake, copy or change. It can also contain extra supply chain or product information, such as when and where the item was produced, where it is distributed, its final destination, its warrantee and warrantee expiry date. The individual codes can be saved in a database held on a standard laptop hard disk.

Sappi claims that Identicate is perfectly compatible with other product security systems and offers a means to rapidly trace products, wherever they are in the sales chain.