Amcor Capsules and integrated solutions provider Toppan Printing have teamed up for a new NFC-enabled anti-counterfeiting system for wine and spirits.
The new InTact capsule incorporates an NFC tag that detects opening or tampering, in an effort to prevent grey-market diversion and fraudulent refilling.
According to Nicholas Freynet, general manager of Amcor Capsules, the tag is discreetly integrated on the inside of the capsule, which allows alcoholic beverage manufacturers to adopt it without having to make drastic changes to filling and packaging processes.
“Our customers have an ever-increasing demand for functionalities such as product authentication, opening detection, and consumer engagement, and we have been working to develop a capsule construction that can incorporate an NFC tag with seamless communication,” he said.
The capsule combines non-metallic and metallic films, allowing radio wave communication through the material with NFC-enabled smartphones. It combines Toppan’s antenna structure and an integrated circuit chip with break detection circuits, which allow tampering or breakages to easily be detected.
Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi, general manager of global business development for Toppan’s security products business, says that because the capsule stores a unique digital certificate for authentication, it can be used for targeted sales promotions and consumer engagement campaigns.
“Toppan has been developing RFID tags for wine and spirits since 2014. A thorough understanding of the market and extensive insight regarding customers are required to enable propositions that ensure customers are able to make full use of RFID tags,” said Mizoguchi.
The system has been in testing at a French winery since 2016, and is now ready for full-scale sales.
For more innovations in intelligent packaging, reserve your place at the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association’s (AIPIA) World Congress from 18-19 November.
