Method of marking a product, marked product resulting thereof, and method of identifying same
AssigneeSicpa Holding SA
InventorsThomas Tiller, Sylvain Jaquier, Xavier Marguerettaz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and means for identifying the authenticity and the genuine nature of a solid or liquid bulk material, by incorporating a marking composition containing at least one trace ion into the said bulk material, whereby the total concentration of the incorporated trace ions in the market bulk material is chosen to be lower than the corresponding concentration of the same ions in standard sea water. The authenticity and the genuine nature or the adulteration level of the marked bulk material can be tested in-the-field using electrochemical sensors, and confirmed in the laboratory using a method such as atomic absorption spectroscopy, ion chromatography or mass spectrometry.
Claims26
A method for marking a material, wherein said material is an alcoholic beverage or a perfume, the method comprising:
- identifying at least one non-isotopic ion selected from ions contained in standard seawater in said material present at an initial concentration level of below 50 ppm, said at least one ion being non-toxic with respect to human or animal use;
- and
- incorporating a marking composition comprising said at least one ion that is non-toxic with respect to human or animal use into the material to form a marked material including said at least one ion in the marked material at an increased concentration by at least a factor of 3 as compared to the initial concentration level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.