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What if medicines and daily essential products meant to nourish and heal ended up causing harm because they were counterfeit or lacked legal distribution permits? Counterfeiting is a well-known challenge that continues to threaten the global pharmaceutical and FMCG industries. Counterfeit goods not only lead to financial losses but also damage public trust in legitimate brands, creating long-term reputational risks for companies.

However, the presence of today’s innovation of anti-counterfeiting technologies such as blockchain, serialized codes, digital authentication software are becoming more resilient, transparent, and effective than ever.

Hence, it is the right time to explore how coding systems can help fight against fraud and fake products by encouraging companies to ensure their pharma and FMCG items remain safe, reliable, and authentic.

Counterfeiting Is a Growing Risk in the Pharma and FMCG 

In the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors, counterfeiting has become a serious problem that demands urgent attention because of its long-term risks and potential harm to human life.

The issue stems from the rising demand for goods and the global economy’s expansion, which impacts not only financial performance but also consumer health and safety.

The effective protection systems are necessary to address these increasing risks by preserving product authenticity, fostering and increasing consumer trust, and shielding the public from harmful counterfeit goods. 

Thus, anti-counterfeiting technology is therefore essential for bolstering consumer protection frameworks and brand recognition in the international market. Many global organizations, including WHO and OECD, have reported increasing counterfeit activities in developing markets, urging stricter implementation of product coding and tracking measures.

What Is Anti-Counterfeit Coding and Why Does It Matter

One of the most adequate solutions for increasing risk in the pharma and FMCG industries is the implementation of anti-counterfeit coding systems. 

Anti-counterfeit coding is a system or technology that assigns a product a unique digital identity in the form of a number, alphabet, or graphic as a security code. 

Key features such as protection, uniqueness, traceability, and verification enable businesses to detect counterfeiting in pharma and FMCG products using advanced coding systems.

These systems are crucial to verify products authenticity, protect and maintain brand integrity, prevent illegal product duplication, and even strengthen supply chain security. Implementing these systems also supports regulatory compliance and allows companies to quickly recall or track products in case of distribution errors or health risks.

Types of Coding Technologies Used for Brand Protection

Not just a technical safeguard, the anti-counterfeit coding system has become a mark of safety, trust, and compliance in modern trade for a brand. 

Invisible Ink & UV Coding 

Invisible ink is an anti-counterfeit coding system that uses special inks invisible to the naked eye but detectable with tools such as infrared scanners or ultraviolet light. It authorizes the embedding of hidden security features on both products and packaging. 

Meanwhile, UV coding is a practical coding technology where the ink works and can be visible only under UV light. This adds an extra layer of brand protection, which makes products significantly harder to counterfeit. 

Serialized Barcodes and 2D Codes 

Serialized barcodes and 2D codes such as QR Codes and Data Matrix assign a unique identity number to each product, allowing instant verification via scanning.

However, if the same code appears at many different points, it indicates counterfeiting or illegal distribution. This technology supports product tracking throughout the distribution chain, increasing transparency while reducing the risk of misuse. 

Integration with Digital Authentication Systems 

Digital authentication systems is a coding technology in which the implementation combines physical security features with advanced systems. For example, a perfume that uses a hologram label system, pharmacy medicines that feature unique serialized barcodes, and etc.

These systems strengthen brand protection, support regulatory compliance, and effectively distinguish genuine products from counterfeit pharma and FMCG industries. Combining multiple coding technologies often delivers the best protection results. For instance, serialized barcodes integrated with UV coding can create multi-layered security that’s difficult to replicate.

Why Coding Is Critical in Pharma and FMCG 

Due to their direct connection to consumer health and essential needs, pharma and FMCG industries face a high risk of counterfeiting. Any failure to protect product authenticity can severely harm a company’s reputation.

Not only meeting regulatory requirements, a company can also build good relationships with consumers if they implement an anti-counterfeit coding system to protect their brand.

This promotes transparency, builds trust, and maintains brand quality and integrity in the middle of a challenging and competitive global market. Ultimately, coding systems is not merely a technical tool, but a long-term protection strategy. By integrating coding systems into their production lines, companies can also improve traceability, optimize logistics, and respond more efficiently to regulatory audits.

Markcom’s Smart Coding Solutions for Anti-Counterfeiting 

As a company specializing in the marking and coding industry, Markcom Global provides marking technology solutions through a variety of products and services.

Our product lineup including Mark I Ultra, Mark I-H, Mark I-S, Mark II Ultra, and Mark II helps combat counterfeiting across industries such as construction, food & beverage, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

These solutions provide unique, durable codes and customize companies’ needs by assigning batch numbers that facilitate product tracking and authenticity verification during the distribution process. 

The importance of batch number marking machines in building trust among company, seller, and customer is emphasized, highlighting the role of unique markings for each product in protecting authenticity in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries.

Amid the growing risk of counterfeiting, reliable marking and coding solutions are absolutely essential. In conclusion, smart anti-counterfeit coding technology protects product authenticity, safeguards public health, and strengthens both trust and brand integrity across the supply chain. Markcom’s solutions are designed not only for marking and coding but also for enhancing production efficiency through automation-ready systems and data integration capabilities.

Now that you’ve learned how coding systems strengthen anti-counterfeit measures in pharma and FMCG, take the next step by exploring how batch number coding machines can enhance your brand protection strategies.

You can read about: Ensuring Traceability: The Power of Batch Number Coding Machines

Sources:

https://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/industry-solutions/beverage-hub/anti-counterfeiting.html

https://rotechmachines.com/print-type/anti-counterfeit

https://bytescare.com/blog/anti-counterfeit-code 

https://commercialcopierleasingsouthflorida.com/innovations-in-anti-counterfeit-printing-techniques-for-businesses/

https://www.scantrust.com/secure-qr-code-anti-counterfeiting-solutions/

https://ecosecuritytape.com/anti-counterfeit-technology/

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