Edible bar codes for medication coming

The bar codes are a “high–purity silica microtag.” Silica (silicon dioxide) “has long been used as an excipient in food and medicine,” according to the company, and has been deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The bar codes include information such as: product strength, batch number, site of manufacture and expiration date. Last year, the FDA issued guidance to the drug industry for use of physical–chemical identifiers (PCIDs). “With the PCID Guidance and other actions, the FDA has demonstrated that addressing the problem of counterfeit and diverted drugs is one of its highest priorities,” said TruTag chief operating officer Peter Wong in a statement.