With the rising prevalence of counterfeit good hitting the market, security measures have been infiltrating the labels and packaging space for some time. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has only ramped up efforts to secure consumer goods.

According to Michael LeRoy, senior product manager at Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials, the security labels market is projected to surpass $45 billion by 2030. COVID-19 has only amplified the spotlight on security products over the past few months.

Popular markets for security measures include pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics and medical devices, which have continued to increase, but there are also a number of new applications that have popped up in the past few months. In particular, there has been a greater focus on food delivery and safety. More to-go containers, and items such as pizza boxes, are using labels for security and customer communication.

Labels allow businesses the opportunity to communicate to consumers that an item has been cleaned/sanitized and sealed for delivery, and to ensure nothing has been tampered with.

“We have seen an increased focus on brands and businesses wanting to ensure their products will arrive safely to consumers, as well as using labels to communicate to consumers that products or goods are secure and haven’t been tampered with,” explains LeRoy. “These new applications have different levels of security label needs and we are seeing everything from our prime paper products being utilized all the way to anti-tampering solutions such as frangible and void labels.

“COVID-19 has created its own segment within food safety. Now more than ever, delivery customers are aware of who is handling their food and the way it was prepared and transported,” he adds. “Delivery customers want peace of mind, and tamper-proof labels help reassure customers that safety measures have been followed.”

Earlier this year, the FDA, as part of its New Era of Smarter Food Safety, announced it would promote food safety culture by partnering with food delivery companies to provide education on the importance of proper food handling. By partnered with the US Department of Agriculture, CDC, and industry and consumer stakeholders, the FDA will also develop educational materials for consumers on the handling of food delivered to their home. This endeavor includes time/temperature considerations, looking for tamper-resistant packaging, and reducing potential for cross-contamination.

Avery Dennison believes that this focus on security will remain after the pandemic as consumers will still want the extra reassurance that their food or products are safe. A recent study from Future Market Insights states that security label demand from the food and beverage industry is expected to grow by 1.9 times through 2030.

To meet this demand, Avery Dennison has engineered portfolios to provide varying levels of security. Basic security features are provided for products containing security threads, holograms and other off-the-shelf solutions. For a more advanced level of protection, additional features can be added and customized. High-end solutions offer companies the greatest level of protection, and label designers can incorporate creative components and customized security features into their labels to identify and track products.

“Recently, our frangible and void products have seen greater demand as they give a clear indication that something has been opened,” says LeRoy. “We’ve also seen usage of some of our general-purpose products, such as Semi-Gloss paper, VI paper and film products, with permanent adhesives being utilized in new applications where more brand recognition is needed. Our TrueCut S2550 and C2500 hot-melt adhesive both offer the high tack needed to ensure closure.”

Avery Dennison offers its product experts as a resource for tailoring a specific application to the customer’s individual needs, too.

“Our experienced sales and technical team will work closely with you to determine the specific needs of your products,” notes Leroy. “Profiling your exact requirements allows us to implement optimum security solutions that are intended to ensure your brand's compliance with applicable regulatory standards while aggressively counteracting drug counterfeiting and tampering.”