FDBusiness.com

Italian printing organisation StampaSud has launched a new intelligent packaging innovation through SmartLab , the labelling division of their packaging operation. Called StampaTech, the label allows consumers and users to access almost unlimited information – ranging from marketing materials to product origins and freshness indications – all triggered from the packaging printing.

StampaSud commercial and R&D director, Tony Calo, explained, “We wanted something that allowed digital systems to work on a platform of print. There was currently nothing in the market that had the ability to do this, so we built one ourselves.”

With the system, products of all types, from foodstuffs and beverages to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, also industrial products and fashion items, can be traced and monitored regarding quality and authenticity. The system allows manufacturers to ascertain the whereabouts of products at a click, can supply further technical information, can reveal counterfeiting, be used for product recalls, supply analytics and generate client trust.

The SmartLab innovation is greener, less expensive and involves no secondary elaboration compared to RFID or security tagging solutions, says the company. Also it is more interactive than NFC or QR codes, but can be incorporated with these technologies if needed.

Marketing functions allow monitoring of client interest and satisfaction as well as up sell and cross sell, recommendations and social sharing of product information and full analytical and cloud services.

The system has been devised with packaging specifically in mind and the introductory package with marketing and track and trace facilities will be free to manufacturing and branding organisations who register before 2014.