Asahi Kasei and TIS start utilizing the jointly established Akliteia digital anti-counterfeiting platform as a solution to the issue of false labeling of food products. Beginning in April 2023, the system will be used for the Hadate Fresh Sea Urchin product of Hadate Suisan, a seafood processor specializing in high-end sea urchins.

The issue of false labeling has troubled the food industry for many years, with recent sophisticated methods including the partial admixture of inauthentic product or the temporary transit of product through a location which is claimed to be the point of origin. As producers do not generally sell directly to consumers, various intermediaries are involved in product distribution, which makes the eradication of false labeling a complex issue.

The distribution of falsely labeled products damages the brand value of food products, potentially having a severe impact on genuine producers. Furthermore, consumers may unknowingly purchase falsely labeled products, leading to a loss of confidence in the reliability of the food supply.

Asahi Kasei and TIS start utilizing Akliteia digital platform as countermeasure against false labeling of food products.

As a supplier of high-end sea urchin products that are traded at high prices at the Toyosu Market in Tokyo, Hadate Suisan is deeply concerned that sea urchin products falsely labeled as "Hadate Suisan" have been increasingly discovered in recent years.

Having begun offering the anti-counterfeiting solution for the apparel industry last year, Asahi Kasei had explored opportunities to apply the solution for the food industry. Hadate Suisan and Asahi Kasei thus agreed to begin using the Akliteia system as a solution to verify the authenticity of Hadate Fresh Sea Urchin.

Forgery-resistant labels using Asahi Kasei’s proprietary technology are affixed to the product package together with an indication of authenticity and a QR code. This allows consumers to verify the authenticity of the product and purchase with confidence.

Building on the experience with Hadate Suisan, Asahi Kasei will work to ascertain the needs and issues of the food industry, and strive to establish a system to verify authenticity at distribution points in order to eliminate falsely labeled products from the supply chain.

Moving forward, Asahi Kasei will also study the provision of a solution that allows consumers to verify the authenticity of their purchased food products before consuming them.

Asahi Kasei and TIS aim to protect the reliability of food products by eliminating illegitimate products from the entire supply chain so that the brand value of products will increase and profits will be appropriately returned to producers, distributers, and retailers.