PolyU joins battle against package tampering
Led by Professor Pauline Pei Li, the researchers have developed a new form of inkjet printing that prevents tampering with or removal of packaging information, such as expiry dates and where a product was made.
Researchers at the Polytechnic University have developed a way to thwart counterfeiters and protect buyers from tainted goods.
Led by Professor Pauline Pei Li, the researchers have developed a new form of inkjet printing that prevents tampering with or removal of packaging information, such as expiry dates and where a product was made.
There are lots of food safety problems in China. Even now, you don't know if a bottle of water is actually water
Li said such tampering was a growing problem, particularly on the mainland, and posed a threat to public health, consumer confidence and brand values.
"There are lots of food safety problems in China. Even now, you don't know if a bottle of water is actually water," she said.
"There is an urgent need to develop advanced anti-counterfeiting technology. People on the mainland are losing confidence, particularly in dairy products."
The mainland's dairy industry has been hit by a series of high-profile scandals in recent years.
In August last year, its largest dairy producer, China Mengniu Dairy, came under fire after a sales manager reportedly falsified the production date on 3,000 boxes of milk products that were about to expire.