Brand Management - Security

Package theft and counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry cost an estimated $75 billion to $200 billion globally each year, and the sale of counterfeit medications puts human lives at risk.

IMPAK Corporation, a provider of packaging, sealers and sorbent systems, has announced the availability of “child-resistant” pouches and gusseted bags to combat accidental ingestion of poisons by children, especially curious toddlers.

Victor Dixon, president and COO of Rondo-Pak’s U.S., location in Norristown, PA, says pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packaging has two primary functions. One, of course, is to protect the product. But the other is to serve as a communications vehicle throughout the supply chain. That communications aspect, Dixon explains, can often be the key to developing consumer loyalty to the product.

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging has developed a new barrier film for dry products that prevents the migration of mineral oils.

Mondi North America has released caps for its spouted pouches that provide a choke-avoidance mechanism.

Diversion has had a detrimental effect on many businesses across the United States, but has been an industry-wide problem for professional tanning and beauty salons for years. New Sunshine, of Indianapolis, has been fighting product diversion for more than 10 years and has combatted this problem by finding a way to “diversion proof” its premier collection of Designer Skin professional indoor tanning products.

Companies increasingly find themselves locked in a continuous battle to protect their brands from attackers trying to steal the monetary value inherent in successful brands. Adding authentication capabilities to combat counterfeiting can pay off in new business revenues and new customers for package printers and converters. Multiple techniques can be integrated into your current workflow.

Komori Corp. announced the launch of the Pepio offset-gravure press line, designed for the manufacture of printed electronics. “First and foremost, Komori is an expert in precision manufacturing, and the entry into the printed electronics marketplace reinforces Komori’s message at drupa 2012 that we are expanding into new markets,” says Kosh Miyao, president and COO of Komori America.

Electronics and electrics on/in paper are being used for security, safety, crime prevention, brand enhancement and merchandising applications. The global demand for electronic smart packaging devices will grow rapidly from $30 million in 2012 to $1.7 billion in 2022.

Track-and-trace technology has developed enormously in the last few years. Even though bar codes have been around for nearly half a century, they play a key role today in supply chain management in many different ways—securing and documenting a variety of information from unique product identifier to production location, batch number, and expiration date. Bar codes are also the natural partners for today's product authentication technologies.