Identifying counterfeit products by their DNA

DNA-embedded ink used in packaging may become the solution that authorities and companies need to combat counterfeit products.

The International Chamber of Commerce's Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau estimates that trade in counterfeit goods accounts for approximately 7% of world trade, equal to hundreds of billions of dollars annually, costing multinational manufacturers about 10% of their sales on average.

The development of inexpensive, high-quality printing equipment has facilitated the mass production of counterfeit packaging, which can often be difficult to differentiate from authentic product packaging.

Counterfeiting is particularly concerning when it impacts on the safety of the consumer, such as in pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages.

Applied DNA Science's platform for DNA embedment in ink could offer a broadly applicable, secure and convenient way to protect products, brands and ultimately consumers from counterfeiting.

The company uses unique DNA "chimers' derived from botanical sources. The markers are highly resistant to reverse engineering or replication and can supplement other security tags to increase authentication.

Ink jet ink and thermal transfer ink marked with the DNA can be used to apply lot numbers, barcodes and covert markers, providing a way to monitor and track products as they go from factory to retail.

The company claims the markers can be easily integrated into RFIDs, optical memory cards, intaglio inks, adhesives, dyes, watermarks, barcodes and security threads, adding an additional layer of security which is difficult to overcome.