PFFC - July 2008 - (Page 32)

BRAND SECURITY MeadWestvaco (MWV), for example, with $6.59 billion in annual sales in more than 100 countries, has developed a series of security substrates for a number of high-volume markets that are particularly susceptible to counterfeiting and product tampering. “Prescription drug packaging is a booming business,” explains Michael Stuckey, marketing director, MWV Packaging Resources Group, who notes that certain segments of the market will likely grow at a double-digit pace. “As boomers start retiring, the importance of ‘dose pack’ compliance packaging [which compartmentalizes pills for daily use] is going to grow at a very fast rate.” MWV’s Printkote Endurance, for example, is a solid bleached sulfate white paperboard that is tear-resistant, coated, and heat-sealable for child-resistant, senior-friendly pharmaceutical blister card packs. It reportedly heat seals faster than conventional coatings and seals to a range of blister foils and films, including Honeywell’s Aclar, a barrier film increasingly used in pharmaceutical packaging, according to the company. Blowing Smoke The multi-billion-dollar tobacco industry, in particular, is highly susceptible to counterfeiting, prompting companies like MWV to research how board technologies can assure retailers and consumers that products are authentic. And the problem is rampant. For example, a report by the Canadian Tobacco Mfg. Council estimated that 22% of cigarettes sold in Canada were counterfeit. “There’s a lot of revenue in the tobacco industry, so they’ve attracted a very sophisticated type of counterfeiter that has resources themselves,” explains Andrej Vlahcevic, marketing director, MWV Packaging Resources Group. “The problem is worldwide; the problem is huge. The people who are doing this are very sophisticated, and they’re using sophisticated equipment, so it’s not easy to solve. But there are a number of things that the industry as a whole—the converters and printers, the paperboard manufacturers, and the tobacco companies—have been looking at.” For example, Vlahcevic notes that the company can enhance the materials used in its tobacco packaging, much like US currency, making it difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate because the equipment necessary to do so 32 | JULY 2008 Chase Corp., a global manufacturer of tapes, laminates, sealants, and coatings, last year introduced Paper Tyger Defender, a laminated paper with an inner security barrier that provides privacy protection by shielding smart cards and RFID-enabled credentials from unauthorized access. Worldwide financial institutions and government agencies, as well as credit card companies and issuing banks, already are using Defender sleeves, inserts, and envelopes to protect contactless cardholder privacy, says Mark T. Weibel Jr., national segment manager for PaperTyger. PaperTyger provides the durability of synthetic products but with the To protect RFID-enabled credentials from significant printing and converting unauthorized access, Chase Corp. has advantages of real paper. This durable developed Paper Tyger Defender, a laminated product is suitable for digital, laser, and paper with an inner security barrier. conventional printers. End-uses include envelopes and direct mailers, ID cards, To help combat that on the maps, labels, archival documents, menus, paperboard side, MWV developed tags, book covers, tickets, file folders, CD its Printkote Advantage Tobacco insert sleeves, horticulture tags, licenses, product, which has a brilliant, blueposters, certificates, ream and box wrap, white styling with improved brightness temporary credit cards, and more. that is achieved without using Optical Weibel says the specialty paper is Brightening Agents (OBA). Achieving ideally suited for security applications a very high brightness without the use because it looks just like standard paper. of OBAs is much more difficult and Yet, the combination of durable paper expensive to replicate, according to laminates, films, and/or foils acts as the MWV. Consequently, it can be used perfect barrier to protect “smart cards” as one method to combat and detect and their RFID-encoded information counterfeit products, while at the same from identity theft. time providing a superior look and feel. He notes that if you put the card in a This results in a high-style finish sleeve or an envelope, or even attach it and excellent fade resistance for superto an 81 ⁄2 x 11-in. piece of Defender, that card cannot be read, “so your personal premium brands—with no loss in identity is protected.” production or structural performance. He adds, “Even the US Postal System It provides outstanding ink holdout just did a mailing about identification for sharp graphics and faster drying protection and identification theft. Our time, side-to-side uniformity, and sheet industry is really starting to acknowledge cleanliness, which can help improve that the threat from stealing identity is productivity and performance of packaging runs for improved efficiencies, very significant.” reduced waste, and higher profits to Contributing editor Edward Boyle, based in converters and tobacco manufacturers, Reading, PA, has covered the converting according to the company. industry for more than 23 years. Contact “It’s known not only for its general him at EJB Communications; 610-670esthetics, but also for its runnability,” 4680; ejbcomm@aol.com. says Vlahcevic. “It’s very consistent to WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM is expensive. MWV primarily uses paperboard for its tobacco packaging, to which clearly visible special fibers can be added. However, the company does use box-grade plastic for some limited promotional packaging, and MWV says the cost of this substrate can be a counterfeit deterrent in itself. However, Vlahcevic says, “given time, they’re going to figure out a way to replicate it, at least to the point of accuracy so that the consumer can’t tell the difference without being educated.” specifications, so printers and packagers can just set their machines and run large runs at the highest possible speeds, which is exactly what the tobacco companies are looking for because of the volumes they do.” Identity Protection http://WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PFFC - July 2008

PFFC - July 2008 Contents First Glance Calendar of Events From the Editor Web Lines Process Management News Clips Narrow Web & Label Reporter Narrow Web & Label What’s New Products Cover: Special Report Start with Security 2008 TAPPI PLACE Conference Printing Partnerships Paper’s Pledge Edible Markers Flexography Exclusive Research: Critical Trends What’s New Products Services Directory Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index Experience Speaks

PFFC - July 2008

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