With a preponderance of orders being placed online – for everything from groceries to electronics – security labeling has become more important than ever. The global COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for anti-tampering and track-and-trace features.

Consumers have emphasized health and wellness in their shopping behaviors over the past year, and ensuring a secure supply chain, from creation to delivery, will remain at the forefront of the consumer’s mind.

Indication of product tampering can occur with the packaging, label or both. The most efficient way to indicate tampering will involve the use of an aggressive adhesive that will physically cause the fibers to rip away – thus damaging the package.

“The main feature of a good security label is being easily visible when a product has been tampered with,” says Michael Welch, senior product manager – durables, Avery Dennison. “A label split in half is a clear indication the product has been opened or tampered with. If a security label is too easy to remove and replace, it may keep a package closed, but has lost its true purpose. The solution should fit the economics of the product, too. A good security label is also difficult to bypass if a person is determined, through the use of heat or cold, trying to insert a razor under the adhesive, or various other methods.”

Frangible labels, meanwhile, will essentially destroy themselves as someone attempts to remove them.

“Frangible products will break into pieces. This can also be achieved to some degree with security slits added on-press,” notes Welch. “The void products, depending which is used, will leave an indication on the packaging and the label. As you remove a void label, a section will split away showing ‘void’ in the label. These labels can be customized to say other text or logos. Once a void label voids out, it can never be undone.”

Of course, security labeling plays a substantial role in food labeling. The FDA recently announced its New Era of Smarter Food Safety, where the organization will promote food safety culture by partnering with food delivery companies to provide education on the importance of proper food handling.

In partnership 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, including time and temperature considerations, identifying tamper-resistant packaging, and reducing potential for cross-contamination.

“COVID has created its own segment within food safety,” explains Welch. “Now more than ever, delivery customers are aware of who is handling their food and the way it was prepared and transported. Delivery customers want peace of mind and tamper-proof labels help reassure customers that safety measures have been followed. Labels allow businesses the opportunity to communicate to consumers that something has been cleaned/sanitized, sealed for delivery and to ensure nothing has been tampered with.”

Avery Dennison has engineered a wide range of substrates to meet demand in this challenging space. According to Welch, Avery Dennison’s security labeling solutions can be created at different levels of security depending on the application needs.

“Basic security features are provided for products containing security threads, holograms and other off-the-shelf solutions,” he states. “For a more advanced level of protection, additional features can be added and customized. High-end solutions offer companies the greatest level of protection. Label designers can incorporate unique components and customized security features into a label to identify and track products.”

Most recently, Avery Dennison’s frangible and void products have seen greater demand as they give a clear indication that something has been opened. The company has also seen increased usage of some of its 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. Avery Dennison’s TrueCut S2550 and C2500 hot-melt adhesive both offer the high tack needed to ensure closure, too.

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