By Mashum Mollah
Tamper-evident labels are a vital security addition for ensuring that a product is authentic and hasn’t been tampered with. Packaging also provides security, of course, but sometimes, it isn’t enough. A tamper-evident label can close any security loopholes to make your product more secure. Labels such as these are used in a number of products by various industries.
According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), these types of labels should have a distinctive design and makeup so that people can readily recognize that the label is genuine and hasn’t been altered or replaced. By ‘distinctive,’ this means that the material used for the tamper-evident label isn’t something that the general public can easily copy.
If you want to outsource packaging services, then make sure of having relevant questions to ask for.
An Overview Of Tamper-Evident Labels
‘Tampering’ refers to intentional altering, modifying, contaminating, or changing in any way a system, package, or product after it’s been manufactured. When it comes to tamper-evident labels, you’d want end users to be able to tell that a product has been altered or tampered with. You’d also want the original manufacturer to recognize the authenticity of its product. If a product has been tampered with, the label will show signs of having been damaged or disrupted.
In ancient times, tamper-evident designs had been used in letters, which typically involved the use of wax, metal seals, or clay to indicate that the letter hadn’t been opened and presumably read by anyone other than the writer or original sender.
The idea has continued until today. Nowadays, tamper-evident labels, including tamper-proof stickers, are designed and made with modern technology. Some include specialty inks, holograms, RFID (radio frequency identification), NFC (near-field communication) labels, and others used as proof of authenticity. All these are particularly useful for manufacturers and retailers. NFC labels, on the other hand, help authenticate products that consumers are aiming to buy.
Currently, there are many different products and industries that use tamper-evident labels. Some, however, have always used some version of tamper-evident labels, such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, cosmetics, and other high-value critical shipments.
There are also tamper-evident labels used as ‘security labels’ in electronic products such as smartphones and laptops, mainly to cover their camera lens. Additionally, customized tamper-evident labels are also used in hotel doors, liquor cabinets, automobile doors, and others to preserve the integrity of whatever is there behind the doors.
Ways That Tamper-Evident Labels Can Improve Security
Tamper-evident labels have many uses and not only in products. Its purpose, however, is ultimately security and privacy. Below are some of the ways that they can enhance your business’s security.
1. Prevent Unauthorized Photos/Videos
There are types of security labels placed on a smartphone’s camera lens as added security to prevent visitors from taking unauthorized photos in a place of business. Removing them, even partially, by an unauthorized person will result in the appearance of a visual indicator that your security team can easily identify. They also have other built-in security features to make it easier for your organization to prevent photographs from being taken in secure areas.
Some labels can also be custom-made; for example, security labels can be placed to cover a laptop’s camera lens to prevent hackers from turning them on remotely.
2. Maintain The Integrity Of Rooms/Packages
Customized security labels are placed on hotel rooms door to indicate that the room has been cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized. They can also be used on car doors and shipping boxes. These will assure your customers that a product, room, or car is safe. You can also customize security labels like these to include your company logo. They often have proprietary security features that make tampering with them going undetected virtually impossible.
3. Criminal Activity Deterrent
Some tamper-evident labels can be a more cost-effective way of preventing pilfering. They can be much cheaper than installing security cameras to constantly monitor your products in a warehouse or any storage area.
Tamper-evident labels can be an effective visual deterrent for thieves. Boxes with security labels can’t be resealed again without showing signs of tampering. The bin or container would show tell-tale signs of having been broken into.
4. Protects Your Business From Liability Claims
There are no surefire ways of protecting your business from liability claims, but using tamper-evident security labels can help lower the risk of these types of lawsuits. It also shows that a company prioritizes the security and integrity of its products and packages.
Having a type of security label like these can be especially helpful if your business engages in the manufacture of transport of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, or food and beverages. These industries usually have to follow standards and protocols in accordance with laws imposed by regulatory bodies.
Final Thoughts
There are different kinds of tamper-evident labels, and they’re used for a variety of purposes. Many of these labels can be customized to suit a business owner’s security requirements. These tamper-evident labels use modern technology in their design and use materials that are difficult to duplicate by the general public.
Due to the security features of these labels, manufacturers, retailers, and business owners can tell if they’ve been tampered with. They can safeguard their brand, protect their privacy, and ensure the safety and authenticity of their products.
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