Counterfeit alcohol is alcohol produced and manufactured in unlicensed distilleries, or in homes. It can be packaged up to resemble large, recognisable brands, bringing many issues for both producers and consumers. Not only does counterfeit alcohol threaten the brand image of a larger alcohol manufacturer and its revenues, it could also pose serious health consequences if consumed by the customer.
According to the Foods Standard Agency, alcohol marked safe for consumption contains ethanol, whereas counterfeit products can contain other harmful chemicals, such as antifreeze, screenwash and nail polish remover. These have been known to cause blindness, comas or worse. Currently, the most commonly counterfeited alcoholic product in the UK is vodka. In the EU alone, counterfeit wine and spirits cost the drinks industry €2.7bn in direct sales according to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). On a global scale, it is estimated that 30% of the alcohol produced worldwide is counterfeit or illicit.
The consumption of counterfeit alcohol has been rocketed since the Covid-19 pandemic, when online sales of alcoholic beverages globally increased 234%. In America alone, online sales of alcohol increased by 80% in 2020. To help tackle the rise in counterfeit alcohol, we have created the world’s first quantum anti-counterfeit solution for alcohol.
Many large alcohol manufacturing companies already utilise a certain level of anti-counterfeiting technology to protect their spirits. However, current solutions, such as QR codes or holograms, can still be copied, cloned or faked.
To stop counterfeiters in their tracks, we developed a brand-new, 100% unbreakable anti-counterfeit measure. Our Q-ID® Optical tags provide security at an atomic level, exploiting the inherent randomness of quantum materials to create a solution which cannot be replicated by alcohol counterfeiters. These unique identities (we call them Quantum Signatures) can be integrated easily into any existing manufacturing process, and once applied to bottles, packaging or otherwise, can be read by a standard smartphone camera.
This allows the process of authentication to take place in just a few seconds, far quicker than many other solutions. All you need to do to authenticate a product is download the Quantum Base app, which uses your smartphone camera to read the Q-ID® tag and provide all relevant product or brand information relating to your product. The whole process can be done by both employees and customers in real time, using integrated global track-and-trace data. We can provide an immediate Q-ID® solution at packaging and product level, putting the power of authentication back in customer’s hands, and protecting buyers, brands, manufacturers and distributors from the dangers of counterfeit items.
The UK economy loses around £220 million each year due to counterfeit alcohol, such as beer, spirits and wine. This creates an obvious loss of revenue for verified manufacturers of alcoholic products. Alongside this, counterfeits which pose as verified manufacturers can cause damage to the brand’s reputation, especially if it negatively impacts the health of the consumer. Our anti-counterfeit solution can help to reduce this loss of income and positive brand associations for manufacturers whilst protecting the consumer. Alongside these, you can also enjoy:
If you would like to learn more about how our Q-ID® tags can provide reliable anti-counterfeiting for your company, get in touch with one of our team today.