Anti-counterfeiting from Peacock Bros.

Reid Fruits has seen a dramatic decline in product counterfeiting to Asia, as a result of a Smart Fingerprint solution developed by brand authentication technologist Laava, in collaboration with leading label print business Peacock Bros.

Laava Smart Fingerprints are printed by Peacock Bros. using digital label printing and finishing technologies. The Smart Fingerprints use unique images that are generated to each individual product, and use proprietary optical scanning technology, which the company says makes them more secure than a QR code.

"Peacock Bros. is excited to be supporting Laava in disrupting the business model of counterfeiters with an innovative solution that combines advanced digital printing technologies," said Ryan McGrath, group managing director at Peacock Bros.

"With consumers and brand owners across the Asia-Pacific region becoming increasingly concerned about authenticity, solutions that validate products and limit counterfeit goods in the supply chain will enhance buyer confidence, and help protect brand reputation and integrity.”

The Laava Smart Fingerprint provides Reid Fruits with a secure on-product gateway for brand protection and consumer engagement. When a counterfeit Reid Fruits cherry box featuring a counterfeited Laava Smart Fingerprint is scanned by the consumer, a ‘Suspected Counterfeit’ message will be displayed on the consumer’s Smartphone screen, alerting them to the product not being authentic, along with support information from Reid Fruits.

McGrath said, "Securing products at item level provides us with the framework for implementing emerging technologies such as connected packaging solutions that provide advancements in consumer engagement (through AR), product track and trace capabilities, and sustainability improvements within the supply chain."

Tim Reid, managing director, Reid Fruits, said, "Counterfeiting is a massive issue for us, as well as for countless other Australian fresh fruit producers.

"The Smart Fingerprint technology offers a level of secure authentication that will make it extremely difficult for counterfeiters to replicate."

In the 2021-22 season, Smart Fingerprints were incorporated onto 400,000 Reid Fruits cherry boxes, bound for 20 global markets. A significant number of those boxes were sent to China, one of the company’s largest export markets, and also the destination where the Australian business has historically encountered significant counterfeit challenges.