Industry association raises concern over use of barcoded stamps for liquor

The UP's excise department has replaced holographic liquor tax stamps with plain barcoded stamps which can be easily counterfeited and can lead to ill-fated hooch tragedies, the Authentication Solution Providers' Association (ASPA) has claimed.

The association has asked the state government to review the existing excise policy and, to implement a solution that is recommended by experts and bodies of the global anti-counterfeiting industry.

The Department of Excise, Uttar Pradesh, replaced secured holographic liquor tax stamps with plain bar coded stamps devoid of any physical security features in compliance with the move to implement track and trace technology as per the state's 2018-19 excise policy, ASPA President UK Gupta said.

A printed UID not associated with one or more authentication features or not protected against copying or replication cannot provide authentication, Gupta explained.

"We request the state government and state excise to review the existing excise policy and implement a solution that is recommended by experts and bodies of the global anti-counterfeiting industry. This will help in ensuring consumer safety, easy identification of genuine products, plugging leakages in supply chain and enhancing revenue for the exchequer, he said.

The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) support the use of a combination of physical technology as well as digital technology to check counterfeiting, the association said.

Uttar Pradesh was one of the first states in India to adopt holographic tax stamps almost 17 years ago and, now such stamps are being used in most states across the country on spirits and wines.