Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550307
66 tobaccoasia Coding foils are just one product that can be integrated with holograms commonly found on cigarette packs to boost its role in supply chain control. Kurz's TRUSTSEAL® range of difficult to copy holographic authenticity features build consumer confidence, and provide a high level of counterfeit protection. What is also very important in today's world of tightening cigarette packaging legislation is that these features visually enhance the brand as well as the product packaging. Their very nature runs counter to what is currently the vanguard of the battlefront against cigarette manu- facturers – the attempt of the anti-tobacco lobby to force plain packaging on every cigarette product and brand. These optical security features can be combined with the web-based TRUSTCODE® identifica- tion system. The TRUSTCODE system connects the real world to the virtual one: detailed product information can be accessed by buyers, retailers, customs officials, and brand owners using differ- ent smartphone-scanning processes. The com- pany has also developed diffractive 2D barcodes with an appealing aesthetic that enhances the value of the product. Rather than being printed, the bar- code is applied as a silver colored stamping foil into which the actual code has been incorporated as a diffractive, holographic-like structure. Elsewhere, companies like MTM Technolo- gies Inc are pioneering other coded holography solutions such as the HoloTag to protect tobacco companies against brand piracy and product theft in the supply chain within the framework of its integrated security concept. Integrated with other technologies, the MTM hologram linked with a taggant combines visible proof of any tampering with an individual security code for authentication. Checks can be carried out within the supply chain with a HoloTag track and trace mobile ap- plication that can be downloaded onto most smart phones, or accessed from a browser, allowing the user to gather a lot of information in the field and track this in real time. The technology plays an im- portant part in combating cigarette and tobacco product counterfeiting, helping cigarette brand owners control their inventories and prevent them from producing excess items which can be targets for smuggling. Unquestionably, one of the keys to the suc- cess of holograms since being adopted by the tobacco industry for authentication purposes in the early 1980s has been their ability to adapt. We will undoubtedly see more and more interesting developments for the technology that will offer far-reaching benefits to both tobacco products manufacturers and suppliers and expand further the role of track and trace. So, with the seemingly remorseless march of technology and the resolve of governments, anti-counterfeiting agencies and companies around the world to stand firm in the face of international organized crime, as well as the casual opportunist, there's no reason why the hologram will not continue to evolve, becoming further enmeshed in global supply chains and con- tinuing to add real value. The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) - www.ihma.org - is made up of nearly 90 of the world's leading hologram companies. IHMA members are the leading pro- ducers and converters of holograms for banknote security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, packaging, graphics and other commercial appli- cations around the world. IHMA member com- panies actively cooperate to maintain the highest professional, security and quality standards. "The technology plays an important part in combating tobacco product counterfeiting and in helping control inventories" open Internet interface, which enables any mem- ber of the public to verify products are genuine and duty-paid, and uses high-security labels with holographic and security print features, carrying two-dimensional QR-format barcodes with item- specific information. These codes are protected from unauthorized access and reproduction by state-of-the-art electronic digital signature (EDS) technology. Another technology finding its way to in- creased integration with holography is coding foil, which is used to stamp various markings onto product packaging by means of a coding device. These markings provide the consumer with im- portant information such as a product's expiration date, production date, the weight, or the price, and are especially beneficial when it comes to the need to mark a product's quality or add high performance labelling. And in today's health and eco-conscious world, manufacturers ensure that these foils comply with all necessary regulations, including the strict limits in EN 71/Part 3, the EU packaging guidelines 94/62/EC, and the Ameri- can CONEG specification for heavy metals and lead chromate. The Kurz Group, for example, is a market leader whose eco-friendly coding foils are enabling product manufacturers and others in the supply chain to choose from a diverse product line that includes a wide range of grades and colours to meet the demanding requirements of modern product packaging, labelling and retailing.