Computer coding isn’t often thought of as edible.
But that’s exactly what a group of Purdue University researchers have come up with in an attempt to stop whiskey counterfeiters.
Counterfeit spirits are a bigger deal than most people might think. Studies have found that in some first-world countries almost 20% of whiskey sold is fake. And at $1,000 a bottle, some of these beverages are no small investment.
The new technology – edible QR codes – developed by a team led by Young Kim, associate head for research and an associate professor in Purdue University’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, isn’t just about busting modern-day bootleggers. It could also have applications with over-the-counter and prescription medication. In fact, Kim’s interest in this project began with stopping drug counterfeiters, and he realized there was an issue implementing anticounterfeit technology in liquid medication.
“Some liquid medicines contain alcohol. We wanted to test this first in whiskey because of whiskey’s higher alcohol content,” Kim explains. “Researchers apply alcohol to silk proteins to make them more durable. Because they tolerate alcohol, the shape of the tag can be maintained for a long time.”
While the technology is complicated, using it is not. “We see this as a way of helping consumers be part of the solution in stopping counterfeiting,” Kim states.
The tags – or QR codes – developed by Kim and his team have a code that a consumer or patient can activate with a smartphone to confirm authenticity of a product.
Current anticounterfeiting methods are limited due to the toxicity of the materials used to make them.
The tags developed at Purdue are designed not only to be ecofriendly and edible but to have no impact on the taste of the whiskey. As strange as it sounds, the production of the tags involves processing fluorescent silk cocoons from specialized silkworms to create a biopolymer, which can be formed into a variety of patterns to encode the information.
Kim says he was prompted to embark on such a project by the growth in alcohol spirits counterfeiting globally and the seriousness of counterfeit medications.
“Counterfeit items, such as medicines and alcohol, are big issues around the world. There are numerous examples of large amounts of fake medications sold throughout the world, which, in some instances, kill people,” he declares.
The U.S. opioid epidemic alone has given rise to a bevy of counterfeit drug makers, which has resulted in a sharp rise in deaths, warns the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Online pharmacies sell controlled substances to teens. People can buy counterfeit opioids easily. This work is extremely important for patients and buyers in addressing this issue,” Kim asserts. “If you have this technology on or in your medicines, you can use your smartphone to authenticate. We want to empower patients to be aware of this issue. We want to work with pharmaceutical companies and alcohol producers to help them address this issue.”
