Edible QR Codes Could Protect Against Counterfeit Liquor

As I previously wrote in the January 2022 edition of Tax Stamp & Traceability News™ (TSTN), counterfeit liquor, which for years has been a problem for connoisseurs of fine wine, champagnes, and single-malt scotch, has started to become an issue for America’s fine brown liquor – bourbon.

The article looked at several technologies – including enhanced overt, covert, and digital security features – for authenticating the bottle. However, no technology has existed to authenticate the content – the liquor itself.

Edible QR codes, which were previously discussed in the April edition of TSTN’s sister publication Authentication & Brand News™, have been developed to provide anti-counterfeit authentication for pharmaceuticals down to the pill level.

The edible codes were created by researchers using processed silk proteins from genetically modified silkworms. The researcher formed these proteins into a variety of patterns to encode information. The research team used various types of silk protein, from silkworms genetically modified to produce silk with a distinct fluorescence emission color (red, cyanic, and green).