Beverage
Overview
Anticounterfeit
The beverage industry is heavily affected by counterfeiting, particularly in the spirits segment: it is estimated that 25% of alcohol consumption is illicit. Counterfeiting is one of the main causes of this phenomenon, through the fraudulent imitation of legitimate products, including refilling (empty bottles of legitimate products filled with cheaper alcohol), falsification (including the industrial production of illegal brands or illegal alcohol without a brand) and tampering. The phenomenon is global in scale and also extends to other categories of the beverage world, such as water and soft drinks, through refilling and imitation of famous brands. There are also huge economic losses in terms of tax revenue: for alcohol alone, losses are estimated at US$9 billion.
Deposit Return Scheme
Many countries have implemented deposit return schemes, which are increasingly evolving towards intelligent, AI-based systems. Recent trends are moving towards the use of unique identification codes marked directly on packaging, caps or can lids. Being able to uniquely identify individual containers reduces fraud, speeds up the return process and makes it easier for users, for example by allowing them to crush containers before returning them, reading the unique code on the cap/lid and avoiding the use of the traditional barcode on the label.
PPWR and packaging reuse
The new European regulations set out in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation are prompting more and more industries to adopt reusable containers. Being able to uniquely identify each container can simplify and streamline the process of washing and reintroducing them to the market. For example, glass bottles can only withstand the cleaning process a limited number of times: knowing the history of each bottle (through its unique ID), what it has been filled with and how many times it has been reused can make the industrial process much more efficient.
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