Cartons sealed with tape are susceptible to tampering. Tapes can be designed to help alleviate this growing problem. As packaging fraud, outright theft and “original brand” duping continues to flourish, the use of “tamper evident”, “security” and “traceability” tapes is on the rise.
Security Tapes are for the most part Polypropylene, PVC or Water Activated Reinforced Gummed Tapes – printed with a warning message on the tape. The wording on the tape alerts the the receiving party to check the contents before issuing a clear receipt of the goods. Many times these are referred to as “stop” tapes or “caution/warning” tapes. The warning message can also include a “traceability” aspect by including the provider’s “logo” in the warning message.
Traceability tapes are by and large Polypropylene, PVC and Water Activated Reinforced Gummed Tapes that are custom printed with a company logo, name and address, and, in some cases, a custom design pattern that is difficult to duplicate.
Tamper Evident Tapes are generally specially constructed tapes that when cut, lifted or removed demonstrate evidence to the surface on which the tape was applied that tampering has, indeed, occurred. Some tapes leave a mark or an adhesive pattern on the surface indicating that an event has taken place.
There are times when labels are used in conjunction with these tapes to show tampering with the container. Some firms are applying a lable to the surface, first, before applying the tape – hence burying the label under the tape. Some apply apply the label post tape application on an edge at (90) degrees with an aggressive adhesive that creates “fiber pull” showing the surface has been penetrated and altered.
In the food processing industry, “traceability” tapes are becoming more important to “trace” ingredient product lots from specific raw material suppliers – in some cases – “quickly” by visual confirmation.
There is nothing that is 100% full proof due to the creativity of some “thieves” but the use of these tapes is certainly helping dissuade attempts. And, custom printed tapes with logo and brand names smartly printed on the tape surface surely helps market a name and product more effectively than just plain tape and plain boxes. When multiple size boxes are custom printed with individual brand names by the box supplier, especially when the same box is used for multiple “sku’s”, it far more economical to custom print tapes for each “sku” than it is to custom print boxes – let alone the space savings economics for storing many of the same size boxes in warehouses vs. the storage of simple rolls of tape.
For more information on the converting and printing of custom tapes and labels, refer to the following sites:
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