The technology answers the growing problem of both fake cosmetics, as well as cosmetics products going astray during transit - whether missplaced or stolen.
Microtaggants are microscopic encoded particles which act as virtual 'fingerprints'. The solution enables brand owners to covertly identify genuine product, identify individual distributors or retailers involved in product diversion and address product liability/warranty issues.
"We deal with a variety of industries, but presently the cosmetics industry accounts for about 20 per cent of our business," said Brian Brogger, Microtrace vice-president. "Because the tagging systems is microscopic, it can be applied in a number of different ways - to both the packaging and even the labelling.
"One of our major clients is a supplier of hair care products. For this company the microtaggants are actually sprayed onto the product using a liquid formula containing hundreds of thousands of microtaggants. This is then used in conjunction with a tracking system to ensure that the product reaches its destiny in tact."
The company, which is based in Minneappolis, US, and supplies companies worldwide, says that further enhancements in the Microtaggant technology have now made it the most robust traceable, anti-counterfeit technology available.
In its basic form, the Microtaggant is a unique numeric code sequence in a multiple colored layer format. In its more complex form, the Microtaggant delivers multiple layers of security through the incorporation of several nano and taggant technologies in a single microscopic particle resulting in multiple levels of security.
Microtrace says that the Microtaggant can be read and detected with a variety of inexpensive hand held readers and scanners.
The company is able to offer the ready-to-use identification and authentication solution in the form of compounded plastic resins, films, adhesives, paper, security threads and security labels. Identification of genuine product is said to be easily accomplished through the incorporation of the Microtaggant in a variety of solutions including compounded plastic resins for packaging or film and adhesives for labels.
To address product diversion issues, unique Microtaggant codes may be covertly applied to the exterior of the product packaging. These unique codes are assigned to individual distributors, retailers or markets and are used to track and identify the source of unauthorized retailers. Brogger also says that the company is working on a new partnership with a major UV inks and varnishes provider that will allow the more widespread use of the Microtaggant system for product and brand labels. The move aims to structure this line of the business, which the company says is likely to become a major means of tagging in the future.