Identification experts explain the behind-the-scenes of product authentication

The recent counterfeiting crisis in the beverage sector has exposed the fragility of the authentication mechanisms available in the country. For the experts at Securetrace, a group with over a century of accumulated experience in identification and security and responsible for developing the Brazilian Real banknotes and passport, authenticating a product means guaranteeing its integrity and protecting lives.

According to Mário Nicoli Filho, the company's CEO, “for a product to be recognized as original, it must contain a tool that allows the consumer to check its authenticity immediately and unequivocally.” The complexity of counterfeits has grown, and visual verification is no longer sufficient. Today, counterfeiters reuse discarded original bottles and labels, filling them with adulterated content.

With the advancement of artificial intelligence and precision optics, authentication has become more accessible. What once required technical expertise can now be done in seconds, using a smartphone. This allows consumers, merchants, and inspectors to confirm a product's origin before purchase or consumption.

The impact of counterfeiting extends beyond the beverage sector. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10% of medicines sold worldwide are counterfeit, resulting in over 100,000 annual deaths. In Brazil, the National Forum Against Piracy and Illegality (FNCP) estimates that the country lost R$ 468 billion in 2024 to the illegal market, with R$ 85 billion from alcoholic beverages alone. The problem also affects cosmetics, supplements, and fuels, with sanitary, economic, and social consequences.

For Securetrace, authentication should be treated as a matter of public safety and shared responsibility. “Relying on a compromised validation element is as dangerous as having no protection at all,” states Nicoli Filho. According to him, the use of fragile mechanisms creates a false sense of security and aggravates the problem.

From this need emerged ID Secure (powered by Cypheme), Securetrace's technology that establishes a new standard of authenticity. The system uses a unique fingerprint label, impossible to copy, with 99.9% anti-copy efficacy. It is the only anti-counterfeiting solution in the world recognized by the ISO 12931 standard, which certifies authenticity validation systems with a high degree of reliability.

ID Secure also functions as a traceability and forensic intelligence mechanism. The technology combines artificial intelligence, geolocation, and data analysis to detect fraud, record evidence, and provide information to authorities. The system has already recorded over 75,000 lives saved, 10 million counterfeit products eliminated, and US$ 180 million in recovered revenue.

Securetrace maintains a continuous program of enhancement and technical cooperation with global security and defense companies. The goal is to establish standards of trust and traceability among brands, authorities, and consumers.

The company's mission is to prevent counterfeiting, protect the formal economy, and ensure that consumers can trust what they consume.