Authena: the end-to-end technology framework to restore public trust in agrochemicals

23 Apr, 2021

Apart from being a profit-generating industry, agriculture is our main element of survival, and for this reason it is often under severe scrutiny by public authorities and the entire society. The world population is growing fast, and the agricultural sector is facing the hard challenge of producing more food to feed an increasing number of people with a smaller rural labor force. (more…)

IoT & blockchain to revolutionize safety, traceability, and monitoring of global vaccine shipments

26 Mar, 2021

Difficult periods get out the best, and unfortunately the worst of people. And this pandemic has confirmed it extensively. Thousands of solidarity initiatives flourished around the globe to help healthcare workers, ills suffering from coronavirus and the less fortunate that lost their jobs due to the consequent economic crisis. (more…)

Disrupting illegal markets for a sustainable economic growth

12 Mar, 2021

The 8th goal set by the United Nations in the Agenda for Sustainable Development is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. According to the UN, in 2019, 22% of the world’s youth were not engaged in either education, employment or training. (1) (more…)

The antithesis between counterfeiting and health

05 Mar, 2021

One of the main goals established by the United Nations in the Agenda for Sustainable Development is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. According to the UN, in 2017 more than half of the world population was not covered by essential health services. (1) (more…)

The effects of counterfeiting on poverty across multiple industries

01 Mar, 2021

The first Goal that has been set for 2030 by all United Nations Member States in the Agenda for Sustainable Development is to eradicate poverty. In 2015, 10% of the world population was living in extreme poverty, with troubles in fulfilling vital needs like health, education, and access to clean water and sanitation. (1) (more…)

The automotive & aircraft spare parts counterfeiting. Often a matter of life or death

19 Feb, 2021

Aircrafts are generally designed for a life cycle of many years. For instance, the B-52, went into service in 1955 and its retirement date has been scheduled for 2040. (1) Therefore, to perform a regular maintenance of aerospace and defense products throughout their lifecycle it might be necessary to use parts that are no longer produced by the original equipment manufacturer. (more…)

The “dangerous” market of fake cosmetics and how to end it

11 Feb, 2021

In 2018, the value of the global cosmetics market was 507.8 billion U.S. dollars. The same market is projected to reach the value of almost 760 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. (1) The growth of the cosmetics field has gone hand-in-hand with an increase in counterfeiting, which some associations have quantified as a rise of at least 264% from one year to the next. (2)

Authena Fragrances and the once unresolved problem of illegal perfumes

05 Feb, 2021

Historically, perfumes have always been one of the favorite targets of counterfeiters. In an old survey promoted by the French Institute of Industrial Statistics it turned out that already in 1995 more than 80% of French perfume companies had experienced problems with counterfeiting. (1)

The new “trend” in counterfeiting during the global pandemic

28 Jan, 2021

Not only has the Covid-19 pandemic shed light on worldwide flaws in social and health systems, disrupted supply chains and taken many lives across the world. It has also triggered unscrupulous illicit behaviors and the increase in smuggling and forgery. (more…)

A revolutionary system to engage end-users and trace cocoa beans until a chocolates’​ box

20 Jan, 2021

Chocolate is one the most consumed luxury foods worldwide. In western European countries the per capita consumption reaches almost 10 kg/year.[1] Consumers, more and more concerned about food safety, today want to be informed about all the processes in the food supply chain. And for the cocoa market they make no exception. (more…)

Authena fights the wide diffusion of illegal pesticides in Brazil

14 Jan, 2021

Recently, the illicit market of products for agriculture in South America started acquiring a large dimension. Despite the closures of borders and the increase in customs controls due to the pandemic, in the last year the presence of smuggled pesticides in Brazil has grown significantly. (more…)

To all of you that believed in the safety of the Swiss wine market, you were wrong!

18 Dec, 2020

Tignanello and Sassicaia again at the center of a counterfeiting and smuggling operation. This time even the safe and reliable Swiss market was involved.

WE COMBAT ILLICIT TRADE AND PARTNER WITH BRANDS FOR THE SDGs

11 Dec, 2020

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. (more…)

Interpol warns: “Fake COVID-19 vaccines”. How to avert the risk?

04 Dec, 2020

When first, after having hit China, Covid-19 started spreading in Europe and then also in America, many false news started circulating about the virus. The more the illness was diffusing the more fake information were becoming “viral” among the world population. (more…)

QR codes. A clumsy attempt to match consumer desire for food authenticity

30 Nov, 2020

In the last years, the attention towards food specific attributes has been increasing constantly. Consumers pay more and more attention to what they buy every day in terms of quality of ingredients, origin, traceability and sustainability. According to a research commissioned by the EU (1), the majority of European citizens take quality into great consideration when choosing between a food product and another. (more…)

The mystery of the fake Tignanello and the Sassicaia counterfeiting operation

18 Nov, 2020

It seems unreal, but after all the troubles this market went through, wine fraud is still an extensive issue! According to a study conducted by the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Right Office), counterfeit spirits and wine cost the European economy € 2.7 billion a year. (1) Additionally, it is estimated that legitimate wine and spirits sales are reduced by almost 7%, due to counterfeit goods, with illicit trade in wine and spirits resulting in the loss of over 7,000 jobs and € 2.2 billion in tax revenues. (2) However, if statistics are based on estimates, and therefore subject to interpretations, facts are facts, and these remain.

The king of wine counterfeiting is free and (maybe) back to business

12 Nov, 2020

Veterinary drugs. Fakes and illicit markets

05 Nov, 2020

When talking about troubles with veterinary drugs, the first thing that comes to our mind is the extensive use of antibiotics in modern farms. It is true that today antibiotics are the only way to overcome a bacterial disease efficiently. However, their misuse to increase animal growth-rate and productivity can stimulate the development of an antimicrobial resistance. This means triggering bacteria to grow a sort of tolerance to antibiotic treatments. However, this is not the only problem affecting vet drugs. An increasing number of daily used medicines are unauthorized, expired or even fake. (more…)

Herbs and spices. Hard to recognize, easy to counterfeit

29 Oct, 2020

The term “spices” comes from the Latin “species” which indicates a special type of valuable goods that differs from ordinary ones. Due to their exotic characteristics and low availability, in mediaeval times the term gradually came to indicate the vegetable substances of oriental origin mainly used for cooking purposes. Apart from the religious valence and the therapeutic power attributed to them in the past, because of their high commercial value, spices were considered a social marker. (more…)

Illegal agrochemical products. Numbers, risks and solutions

16 Oct, 2020

It is not just about the vegetable soup you might eat once a month, it is also about the wooden table on which you eat the soup, or even the cotton shirt you are wearing every day. Now think about all the staple crops in different areas of the world and the ones that are grown to feed livestock for milk and meat production. Agriculture has a fundamental role on our everyday life, and apart from being an economic sector that generates wealth, it is our first and most important element of survival.

Blockchain-based traceability for the Food & Beverage sector. The QR code deception

12 Oct, 2020

Nowadays, when it comes to produce and sell food and beverages, traceability represents a fundamental requirement. Before becoming an advertising stunt, we must say that the “ability” to “trace” food along the supply chain till the point of sale is mandatory by law. However, following product’s path from the production site to the shelves of the supermarket is not enough. (more…)

Wine fraud, a still fashionable (and profitable) practice

07 Oct, 2020

Illicit markets are, for their nature, difficult to analyze. The one involving fake wine makes no exception. In fact, all the available statistics that can be found on the subject are based on estimates and often comprehend the whole “food and beverage” sector. Keeping that in mind, we can report some numbers. According to a study conducted by the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Right Office), counterfeit spirits and wine cost the European economy € 2.7 billion a year. (1) (more…)

The consequences of counterfeiting: not only monetary losses

01 Oct, 2020

Selling one thing for another, tampering goods in order to increase their commercial value and copying others’ ideas and inventions to make profits are all old and repeatedly pursued actions since the dawn of times. This of course does not mean that they are legitimate and lawful practices. In fact, besides being morally questionable, they are also considered a fraud in most of the cases, especially when patents and intellectual property rights are involved. (more…)

Award-winning Anti-counterfeiting Startup Celebrates Achievements With a Name Change

12 Sep, 2020

Acatena, an IoT & blockchain platform that reinvents premium product authenticity, has changed its name to Authena to reflect the true value that they offer their customers. Their current name, Acatena, is derived from the Italian word “catena” which means “chain” and refers to the supply chain or blockchain. Though, their focus is on much more than simply technology.