Fighting back against the pirates

Atlantic Zeiser has provided pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturerswitha powerful weapon against counterfeiters and pirate products.  Known as the Track & Trace Module, it integrates easily into a new or existing print packaging production line.  

  
According to a 2009 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), pirate products worldwide cost companies EUR 184 billion - a 53% rise in two years.
  
The pirate products pose a particularly high risk in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries because they often use ineffective filling agents instead of genuine, more expensive medical substances, and cheap ingredients instead of high-quality cosmetic agents.
  
With the Track & Trace Module, users can include all standard product-tracking codes on the packaging.   The codes include GS1, all types of numeric codes, and 1-D and 2-D barcodes, which are used to check the legitimacy of the packaging and product online.  Track & Trace also includes an optical checking system. In one step, cameras automatically read and verify the selected layout and check the digits.  
  
The solution affords users maximum flexibility when it comes to late-stage customization. If the check code does not match the reference data, the module rejects the packaging following the check. The assigned Track & Trace code can then be added to the packaging in a subsequent print run.