UK: Leading refrigerant supplier Harp International is to add holograms to its cylinders and packaging in a bid to stop counterfeiters.
Harp will be the first refrigerant supplier to roll out these anti-counterfeiting measures worldwide and its main target will be the Middle East which has now become a major hub for counterfeiting activities.

The 125 layer, tamper-proof, hologram stickers are designed to protect Harp's brand worldwide but particularly in the Middle East where the South-Wales-based company holds a dominant position.

'We will be the first refrigerant supplier to roll out these anti-counterfeit measures worldwide,' says Bryan Davies, Harp's md. 'The hologram design costs are enormous but it is vital that we protect the reputation of our brand.'

Confirming that the Middle East had become a central hub for the distribution of counterfeit products from China, he described the situation there as 'a nightmare'.

While not finding any cocktails, Harp says the counterfeit refrigerants tend to be of poor quality, under spec and, more often than not, underweight.

'The counterfeits come in from China, ready packaged,' explains Bryan Davies. 'We have seen excellent copies of the Harp box. The colour might not be quite right, perhaps, but the wording and spelling is more or less spot on.'

The counterfeits may not fool Harp but they are good enough to deceive its customers. The introduction of the hologram, similar to the security protection devices used on credit cards and other vulnerable products, is designed to counter this threat.

'The hologram is on the cylinder and the box and it will shatter if you try to peel it off. If the product doesn't carry the Harp hologram, it's not a Harp Product,' he warns, adding 'And if the price is too good to be true then it is.'