Edible QR code flags up fake whiskey

There are, of course, no tags currently placed in bottles of whiskey. But this new anti-counterfeiting technology could be a step toward not only finding a solution for the alcohol industry but also addressing fake medications.

“Some liquid medicines contain alcohol. We wanted to test this first in whiskey because of whiskey’s higher alcohol content,” says Young Kim, Associate Head for research and an Associate Professor in Purdue University’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. 

“Researchers apply alcohol to silk proteins to make them more durable. Because they tolerate alcohol, the shape of the tag can be maintained for a long time.”

Kim has worked on anticounterfeit measures including cyberphysical watermarks and tags made of fluorescent silk proteins. The tags have a code that a consumer or patient can activate with a smartphone to confirm the authenticity of a product.

The code on the fluorescent silk tag is the equivalent of a barcode or QR code and is not visible to the naked eye. The tags are also edible, causing no issues if a person swallowed one while downing a shot of whiskey. The tags have not affected the taste of the whiskey.

Kim and Jungwoo Leem, a postdoctoral research associate, say making the tags involves processing fluorescent silk cocoons from specialised silkworms to create a biopolymer, which can be formed into a variety of patterns to encode the information.

“Alcohol spirits are vulnerable to counterfeiting. There are a lot of fake whiskeys being sold,” says Leem, referencing other studies mentioned in the journal article about the economic cost and loss of purchasing fake alcoholic spirits, including how 18% of adults in the United Kingdom experienced purchasing counterfeit alcoholic spirits.

“Counterfeit items, such as medicines and alcohol, are big issues around the world. There are numerous examples of large amounts of fake medications sold throughout the world, which, in some instances, kill people,” Kim says.

“Online pharmacies sell controlled substances to teens. People can buy counterfeit opioids easily. This work is extremely important for patients and buyers in addressing this issue.

“If you have this technology on or in your medicines, you can use your smartphone to authenticate. We want to empower patients to be aware of this issue. We want to work with pharmaceutical companies and alcohol producers to help them address this issue.”

Kim and Leem placed tags in various brands and price points of whiskey (80 proof, 40% alcohol per volume) over a 10-month period and were able to continually activate the tags and codes with a smartphone app.

One of the ways of bringing this issue to light is literally to shine a light on the tags. The team developed ways and methods for a smartphone to activate the tags in a variety of light settings.

The tags are an additional authentication mechanism for marked safety seals on bottles or pills and could help by being placed in high-dollar bottles of alcohol or on expensive medications individually, Kim says.