Innovative Edible Tags Could Prevent Fake Whiskey
In an effort to combat counterfeit whiskey, a research team has developed an edible tag with a scannable code that may be used to identify and deter fraudulent whiskey.
18% of people in the United Kingdom have bought counterfeit alcoholic beverages, according to a recent poll. Following the development of an edible fluorescent silk tag, the days of fake whiskey may be numbered.
A barcode-like tag with a code, comparable to a barcode or QR code, that is too small to be detected by the naked eye has been developed by a team of biomedical engineers from Purdue University and National Institute of Agricultural Sciences in South Korea.
The objective is for the tag to be inserted into bottles of whiskey as an anti-counterfeit measure, with consumers then able to scan the code with a smartphone to verify its authenticity.
As long as the tags are safe to eat, it won’t matter if they’re consumed in a drink, and according to the developers, will have no impact on the flavour.
The team used a biopolymer derived from silk cocoons produced by specialized silkworms to produce the tags, which may now be formed into a variety of designs to express information.
The researchers placed tags in various whiskey brands and pricing points over a ten-month period and were able to keep them activated with a smartphone app.
The researchers are optimistic that this solution may be used in the medical field, as well as on a wider scale to crack down on alcohol fraud.
News Credits: Edible QR Code could Eliminate Counterfeit Whiskey – New Food Magazine
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