Authentication, antitamper, and track-and-trace technology options to protect foods

Many security technologies (Anonymous, Effective supply chain protection, 2002) have been developed to protect a wide range of products, documents, and individuals. The food industry has very specialized needs, and food products may be affected by criminal activities such as tampering, relabeling, unauthorized diversion, and counterfeiting. It is important to understand the attributes associated with security technologies so that the benefits may be weighed against the restrictions that arise when selecting appropriate solutions to protect the food supply chain. Security technology may be split into a number of categories: authentication, coding, tamper evidence, and tracking. Within each category the technology may be subdivided into overt, covert, and forensic features. No single technology provides an infallible solution to all problems, so the most enduring and effective solutions almost always comprise a combination of technologies that provide deterrence, aid detection, and assist with subsequent prosecution of perpetrators.