Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/72545
MANAGEMENT the sensors were applied. We've had to abandon the effort for the time being." COVERT, OVERT OR BOTH? Overt or visible anti-counterfeit- ing methods include label num- bering, visible bottle engraving, holograms, serialization using stick- ers with unique patterns, text num- bers or quick response (QR) codes applied to the foil cap, and sound pattern codes printed on labels. (Many do double duty as direct- marketing tools.) Covert technologies go unper- ceived by the human eye. They include digital watermarking, per- manent (non-visible) bottle engrav- ing and microscopic taggants (tags) that can be applied to packaging externally or embedded into inks, pigments, paper and even the wine itself. These technologies require the use of an optical reader in the form of a smartphone or, in most cases, a proprietary scanner for detection. TAGGING A LABEL Tagging now has a meaning beyond spray-painted graffiti; it describes a hidden identification process that is commonly used by dozens of industries to protect the The TagSure tagged inks in this label can be found in the graphics that surround the wine bottle and in the space above the bar code on the back label. integrity of brands and to ensure consumer safety. The process involves the addi- tion of microscopic particles of inorganic matter such as silica that are usually below 5 microns in size, to inks, packaging materials and products themselves. These tags are either laser-engraved with a logo or formed to emit specific light patterns that create a unique optical signature. Virtually invisible, the tags can be detected only by a microscope or scanners that have been specifically calibrated to read them. Dave Wallace is director of sales for North America at InkSure, a global company headquartered in New York City that has been devel- oping and licensing taggants for 12 years. "It's one thing to incorporate a security device into your packag- ing and another thing to police it in WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM JULY - AUG 2012 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 97