30-09-2025
Photo: João Lima/NOVA FCT
A team of researchers from the Research Unit on Applied Biomolecular Sciences (UCIBIO) at NOVA School of Science and Technology | NOVA FCT has developed a new way to produce non-clonable, sustainable, and ultra-secure authenticity seals made from gelatin. The study was carried out by UCIBIO researchers Susana Palma, Efthymia Ramou, and project leader Cecília Roque.
In a context where product counterfeiting has reached alarming levels and poses serious risks to public health and the global economy, this discovery paves the way for a solution that combines enhanced security with environmental sustainability.
The technology is inspired by nature and based on a common food: gelatin. “We discovered that by combining gelatin with molecules that alter the passage of light, we created a new material with unique optical properties, such as fingerprints, that cannot be replicated. These optical gelatins act as microscopic, almost invisible seals that can be applied directly to products,” explains Susana Palma, first author of the paper. Composed of about 80 percent biodegradable materials, they are easy to produce, safe, and environmentally friendly.
Product authenticity can be verified at two levels. First, using a microscope or even a smartphone, one can detect distinct colorful patterns, similar to tiny rainbows, that differ from seal to seal. At a second, more innovative level, the modified gelatin changes its optical pattern when exposed, for example, to acetone vapors. This new dynamic optical pattern further increases seal security, making them impossible to counterfeit.
Security and sustainability thus go hand in hand in this solution. The authors emphasize that this technology addresses two urgent global needs: combating product counterfeiting—ranging from clothing to electronic components, toys, and even medicines—and promoting sustainability through the use of biodegradable materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.
“With this research, we show that it is possible to transform a simple, natural material like gelatin into a powerful tool against counterfeiting, while at the same time contributing to a more sustainable future,” highlights study coordinator Cecília Roque.
The technology was initially developed under a research grant from the European Research Council awarded to Cecília Roque, and more recently received funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology to “develop a prototype authentication system that combines optical gelatin seals and artificial intelligence to prevent counterfeiting,” explains Susana Palma.
The work was carried out at UCIBIO/NOVA FCT, one of the three research units of the Associated Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy (i4HB), with initial funding from the European Research Council and, more recently, support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the development of the authentication system prototype.
In the press
Nova FCT criou selos de autencidade impossíveis de falsificar, Notícias ao Minuto
