We have your back at DISC.  Every day, we work hard to develop new security solutions that give you superior brand protection and anti-counterfeiting measures as soon as new technologies emerge.

Across the globe, packaging security is being compromised by the dramatic growth of product counterfeiting and grey market diversion of major brands.  It is a significant challenge, costing brand owners in all markets billions of dollars in revenue and eroding consumer confidence every year.

 

NEWS:
Fake Cancer Drug Found in U.S.

The Wall Street Journal reports on fake cancer drugs found in the US. How should hospital and doctors authenticate the product? Look closely at the packaging.
Look at DISC’s PASS program for possible solutions!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204059804577225640701811020.html

 

 

Our new Package Authentication Security Solutions™ (P.A.S.S.™) is a significant step toward meeting that challenge and strengthening our already rigorous security and quality assurance program.  It represents the culmination of research, prototyping and testing in partnership with leaders in the security industry. P.A.S.S. is a comprehensive program of anti-counterfeiting solutions that provide package protection and authentication to ensure product confidence across your supply chain.  It is a set of technologies, combined in a multi-layered approach that can be customized to meet your unique requirements.

 

How is P.A.S.S. a different approach to the counterfeiting problem?

At DISC, we see packaging having an active role in brand protection by weaponizing it with technology to deter and defeat counterfeiting. While most printers seem to be waiting for customers to come knocking before acting, in the P.A.S.S. program we’ve assembled world-class technology partners to help deliver customized solutions targeting the customers’ authentication and brand protection issues. We started by providing DNA as a blanket protection for all customers, which can be combined with an array of technologies including those listed below:

 

 

LEVEL 1:  SigNature® DNA Taggants for Forensic Authentication

SigNature® DNA, our exclusive core technology for the packaging industry, provides irrefutable forensic evidence of authentication.  Its uniquely sequenced DNA taggants, made from botanical material, are virtually impossible to copy and have been used successfully as markers for forensic evidence by law enforcement around the world.

This patented and proprietary product, developed by Applied DNA Sciences, is the centerpiece of P.A.S.S., our expanding, integrated packaging security program.  It is versatile, stable and cost-effective, and will not alter the quality of any product.  Combined in ink, varnish, adhesive and textile treatments, it can be detected with a hand-held device and verified in laboratory testing. 

DISC can develop a custom program for you to match the security requirements of your products.

 

LEVEL 2:  Devices for Field Verification

Machine-readable devices – ranging from QR (Quick Response) codes to fluorescent inks & coatings to micro printing – are designed to support security measures for supply chain partners, as well as law enforcement.

Specialized Pigments.  Fluorescent pigments, added to inks and coatings, are invisible to the eye but can be seen using specialized security inspection techniques.  These security features cannot be copied and can be integrated into inks, paper, packaging, and plastics.

Micro Printing. This security technique involves printing very small text, often too small to read with the naked eye and frequently hidden in an inconspicuous, unnoticeable area on the item.  DISC utilizes the latest specialized software to generate unique patterns or text hidden in packaging graphics.
 

QR Code Readers in Smart Phone Applications.  In partnership with Applied DNA Science, product identity using serial numbers and profile data can be entered into a company’s system or in cloud-based Rapidna-QR systems (for automated scanning and/or easy input).  Consumers, retailers, distributors, and other users can access information about the product, facilitating track and trace requirements for verification.

 

LEVEL 3:  Systems for Brand Owner, Retailer & Consumer Confirmation

There are a number of systems that can be used to easily verify a product or brand, most notably human readable codes, holographic images, and tamper-evident structural designs or labels.

Human-readable Identifiers.  Alphanumeric codes imprinted on a package can be read with the naked eye – providing brand owners, retailers, distributors, and consumers the ability to confirm authenticity with the aid of an online database. 

These codes comply with recent FDA guidance for securing the drug supply chain using Standardized Numerical Identification (SNI) for prescription drug packaging.  An SNI should be a serialized National Drug Code (sNDC) that corresponds with the specific drug product and package configuration, combined with a unique serial number from the manufacturer or re-packager of the package. 

DISC’s partner company, Applied DNA Sciences, can generate and provide a registry of codes and a web-based solution for code verification using smart phone applications.

Holographic Security Foils.  Customized holographic foil patterns used to authenticate a product can be incorporated into your packaging by DISC.  Working with our supplier partner Kurz Foil, we can create custom foil patterns or holograms, or use a standard pattern to serve as a unique security marker on your packaging. 

Tamper-evident Structural Design or Label.  We can incorporate design elements in your packaging that can signal evidence of tampering, such as micro-perforations, tamper-evident labels, and structural design devices.