Package pilferage

The fresh, white paint of this shipping container indicates the top was removed and replaced in order to pilfer Army medical supplies. Soldiers of the newly arrived 575th Aerial Support Medical Company discovered at Kandahar Airfield October 1, 2009, that roughly $2 million worth of their company's medical equipment had been stolen in transit.

Pilferage is the theft of part of the contents of a package. It may also include theft of the contents but leaving the package, perhaps resealed with bogus contents. Small packages can be pilfered from a larger package such as a shipping container. Broader and related aspects of theft may include taking the entire package, pallet load, truck load, shoplifting, etc.

Solutions

Solutions involve all phases of product production, packaging, distribution, logistics, sale, and use. No single solution is considered as "pilfer proof". Often, packaging engineers, logistics engineers, and security professionals have addressed multiple levels of security to reduce the risk of pilfering.^[1]^[2]

Each situation is unique. Some considerations have included:

Identifying who a potential pilferer might be: an internal employee, security guard, truck driver, delivery person, receiver (consignee), organized crime, etc. Engineers usually start with knowing what level of knowledge, materials, tools, etc. might they have.
Identifying all feasible methods of unauthorized access into a product, package, or system. In addition to the primary means of entry, engineers also consider secondary or "back door" methods.
Identifying available means of resealing, reclosing, or replacing special seals.
Using extra strong and secure packaging: A weak or damaged package is an invitation to pilferage.
Considering unique custom seals and labels (changing regularly because these are subject to counterfeiting)
Improving the pilfer resistance to make pilfering more difficult, time-consuming, etc.
Concealing the identity and value of a pilferable item. Logistics and packaging professionals do not want to bring attention to the item, its package, addresses, names, etc.^[3]
Adding pilfer-evident features to help indicate the existence of pilfering.
Choosing a logistics provider who can reduce the risks of pilferage.
Shipping in packages in unit loads with stretch wrap or in intermodal shipping containers with security seals^[4]
Educating people to watch for evidence of pilfering.
With a corrugated box, using a wider and stronger closure tape, 3-inch or 72 mm, reinforced gummed tape or pressure-sensitive tape.^[5]^[6]
Using a tamper-evident tape or seal on packages that leaves a message, warning, or other indication if removed.
Installing a surveillance system to help identify any suspects.

References

↑ Femmely, L. J. (2004). Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention (4th ed.). Elsevier Butterworth. p. 281. ISBN 0-7506-7453-9.
↑ Rouhiainen, Veikko, Scientific Activities in Safety and Security (PDF), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, retrieved 19 April 2014
↑ Green, FW (2009), "Export Packaging", in Yam, K L, "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", Wiley (published 2010), ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6
↑ A US 5651463 A, Major, "Enclosed Pallet System", published Jul 29, 1997
↑ B2 US Also DE10156793A1 6881476 B2, Noehte, Steffen, "Adhesive security tape", published Apr 19, 2005
↑ B2 US 6544615 B2, Otten, "Adhesive security tape", published Apr 8, 2003

Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, ISBN 1-930268-25-4
Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6
Rosette, J. L, "Improving Tamper-Evident Packaging: Problems, Tests and Solutions", 1992

Packaging

General topics	Active packaging Child-resistant packaging Disposable food packaging Food packaging Luxury packaging Modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging Package pilferage Package testing Packaging engineering Pharmaceutical packaging Reusable packaging Shelf life Sustainable packaging Tamper-evident Tamper resistance Wrap rage

Containers	Aerosol Container Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag-in-box Bags and flexible containers Barrel Beer bottle Biodegradable bag Blister pack Boil-in-Bag Bottle Box Bulk box Carboy Carton Chub Clamshell Corrugated box design Crate Disposable cup Drum Envelope Flexible intermediate bulk container Foam food container Folding carton Growler Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Jar Jerrycan Jug Juicebox Keg Multi-pack Oyster pail Packet (container) Padded mailer Pail Paper bag Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Popcorn bag Retort pouch Sachet Security bag Self-heating can Self-heating food packaging Shaker-style pantry box Shipping container Skin pack Spray bottle Tin can Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box

Materials and components	Adhesive Aluminium foil Bioplastic Biodegradable plastic BoPET Bubble wrap Bung Cellophane Closure Coated paper Coating Corrugated fiberboard Corrugated plastic Cushioning Desiccant Double seam Foam peanut Glass Hot-melt adhesive Kraft paper Label Linear low-density polyethylene Liquid packaging board Low-density polyethylene Metallised film Modified atmosphere Molded pulp Nonwoven fabric Overwrap Oxygen scavenger Packaging gas Pallet Paper Paper pallet Paperboard Plastic film Plastic pallet Plastic wrap Polyester Polyethylene Polypropylene Pressure-sensitive tape Screw cap Screw cap (wine) Security printing Security seal Shock detector Shock and vibration data logger Shrink wrap Slip sheet Staple (fastener) Strapping Stretch wrap Susceptor Tear tape Temperature data logger Time temperature indicator Tinplate Velostat

Processes	Aseptic processing Authentication Automatic identification and data capture Blow fill seal Blow molding Calendering Canning Coating Containerization Curtain Coating Die cutting Die forming (plastics) Electronic article surveillance Extrusion Extrusion coating Glass production Graphic design HACCP Hermetic seal Induction sealing Injection molding Laminating Laser cutting Molding Papermaking Plastic welding Plastics extrusion Printing Quality assurance Radio-frequency identification Roll slitting Shearing (manufacturing) Thermoforming Track and trace Vacuum forming Ultrasonic welding Vacuum packaging Verification and validation

Machinery	Barcode printer Barcode reader Bottling line Calender Can seamer Cartoning machine Case sealer Check weigher Conveyor system Extended core stretch wrapper Filler Heat gun Heat sealer Industrial robot Injection molding machine Label printer applicator Lineshaft roller conveyor Logistics automation Material handling equipment Mechanical brake stretch wrapper Multihead weigher Orbital stretch wrapping Palletizer Rotary wheel blow molding systems Shrink tunnel Staple gun Tape dispenser Turntable stretch wrapper Vertical form fill sealing machine

Environment, post-use	Biodegradation Environmental engineering Glass recycling Industrial ecology Life-cycle assessment Litter Paper recycling Plastic recycling Recycling Reusable packaging Reverse logistics Source reduction Sustainable packaging Waste management

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Package pilferage

Solutions

See also

References