PACKAGING & MANUFACTURING
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Securikett’s proactive
approach against counterfeiting

Securikett stands for ‘security’ and ‘etiket’, the German word for label. The company is a member of Austrian-based Ulrich labels group, and started its own operations five years ago.

Today, tamper-evident security labels and seals for three of the world’s 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies are being manufactured with quantities going beyond 100 million per annum. Other than pharmaceutical security labels, Securikett also produces labels for other industry sectors such as luxury brands and car parts. What makes the company so unique is the philosophy behind it.

Philosophy

Securikett is underlining the importance of overt security features, which can be detected by various members of the supply chain down to the patient or consumer. Only by that immediate involvement can awareness be raised worldwide. The company is therefore focusing its R&D on new and improved overt technologies such as Authentikett and Voidikett.

Secondly, openness towards various security technologies is heavily recommended. Only by free competition among technologies can it be guaranteed that original brands will stay ahead of counterfeiters. Imagine the whole world put their bets for anti counterfeiting technology on one technology, and that one was “cracked” by criminals – all efforts might be wiped out in one stroke. Securikett therefore co-operates with renowned technology providers for taggants, track & trace numbering systems, holograms, security inks etc. The specific strength lies in the customised integration of proprietary and partnering technologies into one unique label, ready to use.

How does a security label help against counterfeits?

By the overt features, customs authorities, medic and patients are being enabled to check what they get. By the covert features, it can be assured that there is an even stronger forensic proof beyond the visible. The Securikett labels provide immediate action to protect pharmaceutical products against counterfeiting, by making them distinguishable.

Why labels?

With regard to cost and ease of distribution, labels have big advantages as carriers of security, as compared to other measures. Other measures, such as direct marking of medicines and packaging, can be combined, however and the same taggants or numbers could be used, for instance. Why labels? first of all, they can combine tamper evidence and authentication in one, whereas tamper evidence is a prerogative of any authentication.

Secondly, they can be produced in a secure place like Securikett, then distributed in a controlled manner to the production sites of the pharmaceutical customer. Instead of marking all the products at all production sites of the pharmaceutical company, this organisational load is being outsourced. And finally, the fact that tamper evident closure seals are relatively small, the transportation cost, even on a global base, remains reasonable.

The cost of security seals

Tamper evidence of packaging is an important part of any strategy to prove that the content is an original product. Hence it is cost efficient to integrate signs of authenticity into that same tamper evident label. The mark up for that can vary, but reasonable solutions are available at Securikett. Interestingly, many applications go for a combined label that even includes track & trace opportunities, in being numbered. Due to modern, high capacity machinery, the offering of labels is quite varied , and price may vary from one to five cents per label.

The Securikett closure seals are already used in large quantities by some of the global players. They are being constantly developed further, and give immediate improvement to the situation. It is affordable to be proactive, rather than waiting for a global and overall unified anti-counterfeiting solution. The problem of counterfeits, causing death and disease, has already reached a dimension which cannot be ignored.

Technical aspects

  • Voidikett is the name of a two-layer drypeel label, which unveils a previously hidden word or sign upon opening. It is an efficient means against manipulation, easy of use, self explanatory, and clean.
  • Voidikett is based on Securikett’s proprietary technology. It can be opaque to almost transparent, and can be combined with most other security features, such as holograms, metallic or transparent, taggants, 2D codes, visible or invisible, security ink and hidden images.
  • Authentikett is the name of a specific integration of a hologram onto a print or printed label.
  • The concept is to let an image or sign be partly printed and partly depicted by a holographic element. For the members of the supply chain this print-hologramcombination is easier to remember than a mere hologram and extremely difficult to manufacture, therefore difficult to copy. Combined with further covert features within the hologram and the label, Authentikett is believed to reach bank note level.
  • Semi-transparent to transparent seals can be combined with any other feature, even the void effect. The advantage lies in the fact that underlying lot numbers, expiry dates and other text that are printed onto the box, remain readable.
  • Main labels containing overt security give a strong message to the consumersthat the brand cares about its security. Holograms integrated into the paper give a higher security than holographic stickers. In using a registered image hologram, the impact becomes even stronger.
  • High-tech machinery guarantees a good price value relationship.
  • Securikett has won some of the most recognised international awards for security labels these last two years.
  • Founders Werner Horn and Dr Marietta Ulrich-Horn count on their focus on R&D to make their security labels stay

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