News

The importance of the Food and Drink industry

The UK’s food and drink industry is the country’s biggest manufacturing sector by turnover, valued at £104.4 billion. It is larger than the automotive and aerospace industries combined. A recent study stresses that growth in the sector is key to overcoming the economic consequences of Brexit. The UK's takeaway and fast food market was valued at over £20 billion in 2023, and has seen significant growth in recent years. The exponential growth of business to consumer food delivery services is also significant.

Security Seals.. a deterrence against tampering

The use of security seals in the food and beverage industry is for the protection of food products during transportation. Whether being transported between facilities or to customers, food products must be protected from tampering, theft, and contamination. Plastic security seals are ideal for this purpose as they are tamper-evident and tamper-resistant, making it easy to detect if the food products have been tampered with.

Our range of food-contact safe plastic seals can be used on vehicles, sacks or any container that has an aperture, at all or any level. For example, our security labels and tapes can seal up smaller cardboard cartons; our StrapWrap pallet security tape and StrapSecure security seals can seal up shrink-wrapped pallets; and our freight and transport seals can secure the access doors to entire trailers/containers of food cargo.

Security Seals... reducing theft in the Supply Chain

Theft is one of the biggest risks to the global food supply chain. Food and beverage thefts increased significantly between 2021 and 2022. Almost one in five (18%) of all global cargo thefts were food items. This is likely influenced by extreme weather events and rising energy costs triggering global product shortages and spikes in prices for certain goods.

If theft is a concern, our high security cable seals and Container bolt seals offer strong and robust security measures. Our container bolt seals are C-TPAT-compliant & ISO17712:2013 Certified 'H' High Security Seals. When a bolt seal cannot be used (for example, where goods are not being transported in shipping containers or box trailers) we have a full range of cable seals which are also suitable for ISO17712 High-Security / CTPAT movements, providing customers with a range of cable lengths and diameters. High-security barrier seals like our bolt and cable seals are particularly suited to safeguard high-value items such as whiskey and other branded alcohol products.

Metal detectable Security Seals for Production Lines

If security seals are required to protect the integrity of internal processes during food production lines, our Metal Detectable Tracewaste Security Seals offer a safe, detectable solution. A specialised additive to our popular Tracewaste model provides metal and x-ray detectability, giving you all of the benefits of our customisable, multi-purpose tamper-evident security seal whilst also being fully food-contact safe and metal detectable as part of your Hazard and Critical Control Point Analysis (HACCP) safety processes within food, drink and pharmaceutical sectors.

Small fragments of metal detectable additive are dispersed evenly throughout the seal, ensuring that detection systems can detect even small parts of plastic contamination, allowing for batch recall and investigation as part of your HACCP processes. Available in up to eight colours, the detectable Tracewaste seal can be used to seal roll cages, sacks, drums and containers within food production environments. 

Food delivery seals

Another important use of security seals in the food and beverage industry is the protection of food storage containers and packaging. These containers and packages must be protected from tampering and contamination to ensure that the food products remain safe and fresh. Security seals are used to secure containers, packages, and storage units to ensure that the food and beverage products remain protected.

Our DeliverSafe food delivery security labels offer an effective solution ensuring that your food delivery & takeaway services are delivered to the consumer in pristine, unopened condition. Unlike standard adhesive labels, DeliverSafe security stickers void when opened, leaving a void message behind on the sealed delivery carton, box or bag. Food delivery labels therefore act as a deterrent against 'sampling' of the contents of food deliveries prior to arrival with the recipient, providing the customer with peace of mind of your dedication to hygiene.

Our security labels are completely customisable, including not only branding the labels with your own details, but also customisation of the sub-surface message itself, leaving a bespoke residue marking to convey a message tailored to your brand.

Contact us for advice on selecting the most appropriate seals for your food and drink business.

Which cable tie should I use?

Cable ties have a wide range of uses, and are suitable for a multitude of uses in various industries, from heavy industrial use to securing plants in the garden.  Choosing the correct strength tie is an important consideration. Below are some points for consideration when choosing the right cable tie for the job.

Measurements

Cable ties are measured in mm.  They come in a range of length and widths, ranging from miniature 100 x 2.5mm ties to very heavy duty 1530 x 12.7mm ties. The wider the tie, the higher the tensile strength of the cable tie.

Tensile strength

Nylon Cable Ties

Nylon cable ties will have a tensile strength ranging from very low (8 kgf) to much higher (114kgf). Even ties with a high tensile strength will require a low insertion force, making them fast, convenient and easy to use.

UV & heat stabilised cable ties

If you are planning on using cable ties in an outside environment with UV exposure it is recommend to use a UV & Heat stabilised cable tie.  These ties have a higher carbon content which results in a higher resistance to UV exposure. Heat stabilised cable ties are better suited to environments where higher than usual heat is to be expected such as boiler rooms or where the ties are being used to secure heat conductive cables. Please contact us for a quotation for these specialised cable ties. 

Stainless steel cable ties

Stainless steel cable ties are made from non magnetic stainless steel.  They provide a stronger tensile strength than traditional nylon cable ties and they have a wider operating temperature range of -60°C to +300°C.  They are fireproof and UV resistant.  They are great for use in harsh chemical environments or where extreme temperatures need to be considered.  If the stainless steel cable tie is for outdoor use we can also supply a coated stainless steel cable tie  - either polyester coated or epoxy coated for increased resistance to heat and chemicals. They are ideal for use in harsh environments such as offshore, marine or heavy industrial.

Metal detectable cable ties

These ties are specifically used in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical industries where contamination control is critical.  They are a unique blue colour containing specially formulated metal content so that the tie is detectable by metal detectors.   Ideally suited as part of a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).  Made from nylon material they offer excellent tensile strength and reliability whilst ensuring additional safety standards.  They are available in a range of sizes.

In summary, choosing the right cable tie is paramount to a successful project. If you would like further guidance on the right cable tie for your specific enquiry please feel free to contact us for further advice.

Security Tapes are used across logistics, in pharmaceutical / laboratory companies as well as in general industry, most often as a tamper-evident box tape to provide security and chain of custody through supply chains. In this guide we provide an overview of the types of security tape available, the range of customisation options, as well as the types of applications security tape is most used for.

Security box sealing tapes are manufactured with specialised films and pressure-sensitive adhesive, capable of revealing a ‘void message’ on sealed surfaces (such as crate and carton surfaces) upon removal; they can even be used on metal and plastics, for example for security of shrink-wrapped pallets and for sealing cargo containers used in secure airfreight shipments. Upon removal the security box tape the film will also ‘delaminate’, causing the void message to also be shown through the film itself – meaning that opening or tampering is obvious even if attempts are made to stick the tape back down.

Void Message shows through the surface of the security tape as well as in the void message left on the sealed surface

Understanding the Types of Security Tapes

Security tapes are supplied in different formats and styles, and it is useful to understand the distinctions so that you choose the most appropriate and tamper-evident solution possible for your application.

Key Distinction: Overt and Covert Security Tapes

Overt Security Tape	Covert Security Tape
'Overt’ security tape is so-named because this type of tape clearly and ‘overtly’ notifies the handler of the sealed package that security measures have been implemented; this can help to discourage tamper attacks or inappropriate handling in the first instance, due to the risk of identification or disclosure.	'Covert' security tape has been designed to look like a normal box tape until it is removed; only then do security void messages appear underneath. Covert tape is useful to highlight vulnerabilities in your supply chain, and to trace under whose custody cartons are being opened or tampered with.

Key Distinction: Continuous security tape vs perforated tape

Continuous Security Tape	Perforated Security Tape
Continuous rolls of security tape are the simplest form of security tape. Security tape is often produced in similar reel formats to standard packaging tapes, e.g. 48-50mm width x 50-66metre long rolls. They can be used in traditional tape dispensers, making them easy to apply to cartons, boxes and so on.	Perforated security tape is generally considered a more secure form of security tape compared to continuous rolls. This type is supplied in segments, typically 10-15cm in length. Each segment has its own sequential security number, meaning that you can seal your cartons or pallets with a particular range of security numbers, for checking against packing lists, manifests etc.

Key Distinction: Standard vs Customised Security Tape

STANDARD SECURITY TAPE	CUSTOMISED SECURITY TAPE
Standard security tapes are available widely, and can be preferable in scenarios where you did not wish to ‘broadcast’ that a sealed consignment relates to your organisation, brand etc. Branded security tapes can sometimes unwittingly notify fraudsters or thieves of which consignments contain higher value or desirable cargo or goods.	Customised security tape can be supplied with bespoke designs, colours, widths, lengths, and surface and sub-surface prints. Customised security tape can convey brand messaging as well as promote security… Bespoke security tape gives your packaging a ‘premium’ and bespoke feel, particularly for consumer apparel, fashion and electronics. For additional security, it is particularly useful to ‘hide’ security information in the sub-surface void messages – the full customisation options are noted below.

Key Distinction: Plastic versus Paper Security Tapes

PLASTIC-BASED SECURITY TAPE	PAPER-BASED SECURITY TAPE
Plastic security tapes continue to be very popular due to their high-tack, water-resistance and bright colours. Our plastic security tapes are manufactured from 30% recycled content plastics and can be readily recycled at end-of-life.	A recent and exciting innovation, paper-based security tapes are sustainable, high-performing and secure. The 100% paper-based tamper-evident tape performs well even on rough and uneven surfaces, and have unparalleled sustainability – reducing your plastic use to 0% and with zero packaging waste per roll.

Tamper-Evident Box Tapes: Customisation Options

There are countless ways in which your security tape can be customised to suit your application. Bespoke security tape, particularly manufactured with bespoke surface and sub-surface prints, can increase the tamper-evident capabilities of your security packaging, making it more difficult for counterfeiters to replace packaging without leaving obvious signs of tampering.

Below are just some of the customisable features which we can assist with: -

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION	ILLUSTRATION
Customised surface prints	Custom printing on the surface of your tamper- evident tape can incorporate your company or brand logos, corporate colours, and other application- or product- specific branding. It can also be used to convey information to users about opening the package - for example that product returns may not be valid if security tape is voided.
Customised sub-surface prints	The “sub-surface print” is what appears on the sealed surface (i.e. carton, crate or pallet surface) when the security tape is removed… This can be a custom void message, QR Coding, Barcoding and more… Custom messages increase the security of your packaging and can convey bespoke operational or user information for your benefits within your supply chains (including traceability – see next feature).
Customised Traceability	Unique security numbering in multiple formats (including barcodes, data matrices etc) can be printed onto to the surface or even printed into the sub-surface void message itself. Being able to security seal your cartons and packages with your own bespoke security number ranges can greatly increase traceability and audit control within your supply chains, allowing to identify vulnerable shipments and weaknesses.
Custom Roll Widths and Lengths	We are able to supply security tape in customisable widths and lengths. Tapes can be produced in widths from 25 – 240mm, and in reel lengths between 10 and 600metres. Specific roll lengths can prove particularly useful for applying a consistent quantity of security tape for each cargo consignment – for example, our 20metre reel pallet security tape provides an appropriate amount of tape to seal a shrink-wrapped pallet consistently each time.
Complex Colour and Design Options	We can print security tapes using the CMYK colour process (CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and ‘Key’ (black)). The mixture of these colours can provide complex and visually appealing security tape designs.

Applications of Security Tapes

Security tapes are used to seal boxes, crates and pallets and many other types of enclosures. Security tape is most commonly used for tamper-evident security for sealing of cartons, pallets and packages in the logistics supply chain…

SECURITY TAPE ON PALLETS	SEALING CARTONS AND CRATES	GENERAL PACKAGING SECURITY

Due to the critical nature of maintaining the integrity and tamper-evidence of sealed enclosures, security tape is used particularly in the pharmaceutical, food & drink and consumer electronics sectors. 

View our Range of Security Tape and Security Labels

We have put together the Top 10 Use Cases for Cable Security Seals, and explain in each case why cable seals are particularly suited for these types of applications.

Cable security seals are flexible and strong types of security seals popular across all types of industries, including freight and transport, food & pharmaceutical, industrial and manufacturing and other sectors. We have put together the below Top 10 Use Cases for Cable Security Seals, and explain in each case why cable seals are particularly suited for these types of applications.

Top 10 Use Cases for Metal Security Seals

Use Cases of Cable Security Seals	Illustration
Road Haulage / Trailer Security Cable seals are often used to lock through the locking hasps of road trailer doors, as a stronger solution and more tamper-evident solution than easier breaking pull-through or fixed length trailer seals which can be used alternatively. Our flexiGrip 150M seal is a HMRC Customs accepted seal, and road freight transiting the UK-EU customs borders can utilise customs-accepted cable seals as a cost-effective security seal solution for cross-border road shipments.
Shipping Containers ISO17712 High Security Cable seals are strong barrier seals suitable for sealing of shipping containers transiting customs borders. Cable Seals are sometimes preferred to more conventional bolt seals for shipping containers to provide increased security, particularly for high value shipments involved in food/drink and pharmaceutical logistics:         i.            Extra-long cable seals can seal around the vertical locking bars, which can provide superior security compared to sealing at locking hasps        ii.            Our specialised double-locking Flexigrip 500MD is a heavy-duty cable seal which provides a double locking mechanism, for increased security shipments.
Air Cargo Containers Air cargo containers are often subject to vibration, knocks and shocks during air transport and ground movements, and as such lower-strength plastic pull-through seals are not often strong enough to provide effective tamper-evident security. Cable seals provide higher strength security to ensure that seals do not open whilst in transit, providing a full chain of custody of sealed air cargo enclosures from point-to-point.
Rail Cars Cable seals are ideal for sealing individual rail freight car doors. Our range of cable security seals have rugged design features to ensure chain of custody during rail freight movements.
Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) Light-weight cable seals with smaller apertures, for example 1.5mm cable diameters (100S and 150M Models), are suitable for sealing through apertures in Intermediate Bulk Container outlet points. Cable seals seal IBC’s against unauthorised or illegitimate access and maintains the chain of custody of full and empty IBC’s whilst transiting through the supply chain.
Postal and Mail Sacks and Bags Cable seals are well-suited as high-strength pull-through security seals, where the application in question demands increased strength or tamper-evident security. For example, mail sacks might contain particularly sensitive items or cargo requiring the additional strength and tamper-evident protection of cable seals. Cable seals can withstand over 2000KgF of pulling strength force (depending on model) and will not break in transit accidentally.
Bulk Tanker Hatches, Manholes and Valves Chemical and fuel bulk tankers often have multiple points of access, and cable seals are an excellent way to seal these points of access so that legitimate users can maintain an audit and chain of custody of when, how and where tanker contents have been accessed.
Open Top Barrels and Chemical Drums Cable seals can provide a strong tamper-evident lock to sealing the metal clasp mechanisms of open top barrels, ensuring drums remain sealed until delivered to customers, or received back to depots etc.
Valve Lockout Cable seals, sometimes known as “car seals” when used in the context of valve lockout applications, can provide a safe and effective way to isolate valves of all kinds, including quarter-turn, 3,4,5-way valves, gate valves, and butterfly valves. Car seals / cable seals can prevent the actuation of equipment, assisting in isolation and inspection programs.
Pallets & Crates Our StrapSecure cable seal and pallet strapping solution is a convenient and cost-effective way to seal the intersection of strapping which can be used to seal pallets and crates being transported through the supply chain. StrapSecure is particularly suited for sealing of APHA agricultural and pharmaceutical consignments, as they provide security on the individual pallet-level.

See our full range of cable seals for more information.

Please contact us at [email protected] or +44 (0) 1829 760000 to discuss your cable seals requirements today.

In this article we explore the ‘flexibility of the flexiGrip’ – giving you an in-depth look into our range of metal cable seals used across the world, the benefits of using cable seals for your security, and the wide range of customisation options available to you.

What are Cable Seals?

Cable security seals, also known simply as ‘cable seals’ or wire rope seals, are flexible and strong types of security seals popular across all types of industries, including freight and transport, food and pharmaceutical, industrial and manufacturing and other sectors.

Cable seals generally consist of a metal or plastic body, with the cable / wire rope permanently cinched or clamped at one side of the body, and with a one-way tamper-evident locking chamber at the other end of the body. The wire rope is inserted into this locking chamber and progressively tightened to suit the application. The seal can only be opened by cutting the cable; our cable seals feature non-preformed cable which frays when cut, preventing re-insertion and providing a clear indication of seal tampering.

Why use Cable Seals?

One of the chief benefits of metal cable seals is the combination of the strength and flexibility of the wire cable construction – a cable seal can be tailored in terms of its diameter and length so that it may provide an effective tamper-evident sealing solutions for many applications – from small-scale drums and crates, and all the way through to heavy-duty sealing of shipping containers.

Thinner cable diameters (< 2.5mm diameter cables) are pliable and flexible, and are ideally suited to small-scale applications, whereas heavier gauge 3, 4 and 5mm diameters are much stronger, and can securely seal large-scale sealing applications, such as around container locking bars, or large valve lockout applications.

Cable seals, from lightweight 1.5mm diameter to heavyduty 5mm cable diameter 

Cable Seals versus Plastic Seals

Cable seals have much higher pulling strengths than plastic pull-through seals which are sometimes used in their place – some of the strongest plastic pull-through seals might have pulling load resistances of up to 50KgF, but even the most light-weight cable seals are twice as strong as this, and our strongest cable seals (the 325M and 500M) are over 20 to 50x times stronger than plastic seals! This makes them ideally suited to use cases where it is important that seals do not accidentally break in transit, for example crates which are being transported in vehicles.

Security and High-Security Classification Cable Seals

Another benefit of cable seals over plastic seals are the ISO and other national security standards that our cable seals are certified to. The Flexigrip 150M cable seal is certified by the Security Seal Testing Authority (SSTA) as an accepted HMRC customs seal, and for international shipping containers sent by sea freight, our Flexigrip 325M & Flexigrip 500M seals are ISO17712 'H' High Security Classification and C-TPAT compliant - suitable for US customs entry. These certifications make cable seals more suited to customs movements.

Our Range of Cable Seals

flexiGrip cable seals are available in many configurations, including metal or plastic bodies, and in cable diameters from 1.5mm up to 5mm. Below chart provides an overview of our range…

Customisation Options

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION	ILLUSTRATION
Custom Cable Length	We can produce our cable seals with extra-long lengths, such as 2metres. These long length cables are useful for large-scale valve lockout applications, and for sealing around the vertical locking bars of shipping containers and trailer doors.
Cable Material	As standard we supply with galvanised corrosion-resistant steel – however, for increased corrosion resistance we can also offer in full stainless-steel cable options, particular suited to marine and maritime applications.
Custom Engraving	Customisation options are endless, including but not limited to :- Alphanumeric custom markings Barcode 128/39/EAN etc QR / Data Matrices Multiple Line Print Double-Sided Print
Colour Customisation	We offer 12 standard colours as standard, to enable customers to take advantage of colour-coding in their operations
Counterpart Labelling	We can produce cable seals with counterpart labels for duplicate barcode numbering, for application of labels onto paperwork etc. This can reduce possibility for mistakes due to human error / transcription errors.
ABS Encapsulation	Available on 325M and 500M models, we can produce cable seals with fully encapsulated ABS overmouldings, protecting the laser-engraved anodised aluminimum surface, for the ultimate tamper-resistant cable seal solution.

You can also view our guide to the Top 10 Applications for Cable seals here.

Please contact us on +44 (0) 1829 760000 or [email protected] to discuss your cable seal requirements today.

Most shipping containers transiting around the world will be sealed by way of a High-Security Bolt Seal, and with good reason. Bolt seals are inexpensive but strong barrier seals which cannot be opened except by application of heavy-duty bolt cutters which physically and permanently destroy a security seal, making reinstatement impossible. Bolt seals are required for international customs movements and must conform to internationally agreed standards for manufacturing good practice, strength and tamper-resistance, as stipulated under ISO17712 “High-Security” and C-TPAT Regulations.

However, bolt seals are not the only kind of security seal which can be used, and for certain types of shipments or in particular scenarios it is more suitable to use other types of security seals for sealing shipping containers, and in this guide we explain why this is the case.

Type of CONTaiNER security seals	illustration
Bolt Seals Bolt seals are the original form of security seal for shipping containers. They are made up of two separate parts which include the bolt pin and the barrel, supplied together and with counterpart seal numbers engraved on each part. Container bolt seals are locked by pushing the pin into the barrel – the barrel has a self-locking system, and once sealed cannot be opened again; a bolt cutter must be used to open the seal, which permanently destroys the seal and makes reinstatement impossible.
Fork Seals The Fork Seal is another type of seal fully-compliant to ISO17712:2013 HSS (high security seal) for sealing shipping containers. Fork seals provide complete wrap-around protection of container locking bars of any size and offers the highest form of container security; the strong steel can only be cut at the designated cutting point using the very heavy-duty bolt croppers. As one of the stronger barrier seals available on the market today, Fork seals are preferred by some users when sending high-value or high-target shipments globally; for example, shipments of whiskey and other high-value food & drink specialities, as well as valuable or sensitive pharmaceutical shipments.
Cable Seals Cable security seals, also known simply as ‘cable seals’ or wire rope seals, are flexible and strong types of security seals. Our higher strength cable seals (>3.25mm diameter) are as suitable for high-security sealing of shipping containers as bolt seals because they conform to the same ISO17712 High Security standards. Indeed, cable seals can be a higher security solution than bolt seals, because their flexible wire construction and customisable lengths mean that they can seal around vertical locking bars, rather than through container door locking hasps/ cams, which can be susceptible to tamper attempts. As long as a cable seal is progressively tightened as tightly as possible then both doors are sealed shut and cannot be opened, regardless of any attacks on locking hasps or locking cams. Additionally, we also supply our double-locking Flexigrip 500MD, which provides two locking mechanisms within one seal, for a superior sealing solution.
Metal Strip Seals Our Globe seal is a robust all metal strip security seal, providing secure protection for shipments in transit, including for sealing of trailer doors and railway cars.  It is a reliable and immediate indicator that goods have been received as sent.  The seal features a locking mechanism totally enclosed in the head, which is secured by two independent spring rings.  The seal is applied without the need of tools and is certified as an ISO17712: 2013 'indicative' classified security seal.
Plastic Security Seals for Shipping Containers Plastic seals are indicative in nature – whilst they provide clear evidence of tampering, they can easily be cut and broken, and so serve as a visual indication of tampering rather than being a barrier to entry. As such, they are often thought to not be appropriate for container security. However, this is not always the case! Shipping containers are not always under customs control; once shipping containers have arrived to port and have been customs cleared, they have entered into free circulation into the domestic market, and are making domestic onward journeys, in a similar way to road haulage trailers. Plastic security seals can then serve as a tamper-evident, easily accessible solution which continues to provide a level of security to the container, without being as heavy-duty or costly as container bolt seals. Another example is using a plastic security seal a tamper-control check on empty containers returning to depots or terminals. Popular models include our DoubleLock seals and FleetLock seals.
Container Locks Keyed Container Locks are the strongest possible types of lock, because they are keyed and are designed to be used many times over many shipping container consignments. Like all keyed locks, container locks have a disadvantage in that it relies upon of appropriate security and availability of the access key; but they do have their uses in particular scenarios - please contact us should you like further information on the types of container locks we can supply.

A Guide to Shipping Container Security

One of the worst nightmares for any shipper or receiver of a shipping container: your vessel arrives as expected to port, but on unloading the shipping container it becomes apparent that the security seal used to seal the container is not in the condition expected, and cargo has been interfered with, stolen or otherwise compromised.

In this article we provide some helpful explanations and examples of how you can make sure you select a suitable shipping container seal capable of protecting your cargo; how to apply security seals properly, and other considerations to look out for to ensure security seals provide maximum protection to your goods.

The Rise of Shipping Containers

Containerisation emerged as the standard for global sea freight in the 1970s, revolutionising how sea cargo was handled and transported. Its chief innovation was to simplify the handling of endlessly varied types of cargos – by first packing cargo into discrete, standardised shipping containers suddenly freight could be handled and stacked with ease, regardless of its contents. This helped to greatly increase the efficiency of the global shipping industry and led to a huge increase in global trade. Today, shipping containers make approximately 200million trips per year, and shipping container security has become crucial in protecting global supply chains against fraud, theft, drug trafficking, counterfeiting and terrorism.

But the shipping container introduced new problems… for instance, how could shipping lines keep track of what was in each shipping container? And how could governments and customs authorities be sure that what was in a container was safe and properly declared? How could customers be sure that what they had paid for had actually arrived in tact, and without loss, theft or other mishandling? Record keeping and security had to keep up with the innovation, and the Universeal Group were involved in the design of some of the first generation of shipping container security seals to assist in this aim.

What are Container Security Seals?

Simply put, a container seal is a one-use tamper-evident ‘lock’ for a shipping container door, made to withstand the rigours and harsh conditions experienced during global sea freight, and safeguard the container on its journey. Each security seal has a unique security identification number, and once sealed can only be opened by breaking the seal permanently, making reinstatement or re-use impossible.

Today, security seals are required by customs authorities and shipping lines all over the world as a pre-requisite for the movement of shipping containers. The security seal is a crucial part of shipping container security, and it is for this reason that every shipping container has at least one seal applied before shipping. Container security seals alerts stakeholders to potential theft of goods, reduces fraud and counterfeiting, and minimises the risk of unauthorised access. For this reason, Universeal Group continues to evolve our range of bolt and other container barrier seals to meet modern security concerns and produce hundreds of thousands of barrier seals every year.

Which Types of Security Seals Should be Used?

Shipping containers should only be sealed for international freight movements using "barrier seals": security seals designed to provide tamper-evident security and act as a physically strong one-time ‘barrier’ to entry, delaying intrusion to opportunists who might try to access shipping containers. Barrier seals should be ‘high-security’ classification, as certified to ISO17712:2013 standards. ISO17712 High Security Seals are manufactured to an internationally recognised standard which sets out the tamper-evident and physical strength properties which seals should conform to; for example, they should withstand a tensile strength of over 10kN, amongst other requirements.

It is also important to note that certain shipping lines (Maersk Line, CMA-CGM, MSC etc) have their own particular security policies in place, and when in doubt it is best to check with a representative of the respective shipping line as regards suitability of certain types of seals. Further regulations are laid out in the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) and the US Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program, and the security sealing requirements under these regulations have widespread international adoption.

The Bolt Seal – the Container Seal

Different types of barrier security seals can be used in different scenarios on containers, and we have a guide for this also. However, by far the most popular form of seal is the bolt seal, a barrier seal of pin and barrel type construction, and in this article we focus on this type of barrier seal for international shipping.

Bolt seals are made up of two separate parts which include the bolt pin and the barrel. Both parts should be supplied together and have counterpart seal numbers engraved on both parts of the seal…

Bolt Seal - pin and barrel	Counterpart duplicate numbering

You should check that your supplier of security seals marks the serial number on the top of the pin head as shown in the images above… certain suppliers only supply less secure bolt security seals with markings down the length of the pin… this is obscured once sealed… (as below image). If the seal number is obscured, how can you be sure the serial number on the pin actually matches the barrel of the seal, and hasn’t been cut and replaced?

An example of a bolt seal with sequential numbering duplicated along the length of pin - obscured by the locking hasp when sealed in place. If the seal number is obscured, how can you be sure the serial number on the pin actually matches the barrel of the seal, and hasn’t been cut and replaced? Always make sure you use bolt seals engraved with security numbering located on the pin head instead!

Should I Customise my Bolt Seal?

One particular option you may wish to consider is the option to have your bolt seals custom-marked, with a bespoke marking such as your company logo along with custom barcoding or serial number ranges. You can also consider using particular seal colours on rotation, or pre-fix codes for certain kinds of shipments – these types of measures can reduce the ability of fraudsters to replicate seal numbers from blank seals.

How do you Seal a Shipping Container?

Engaging the Seal

Container bolt seals are locked by pushing the pin into the barrel – the barrel has a self-locking system, and once sealed cannot be opened again; a bolt cutter must be used to open the seal, which permanently destroys the seal and makes reinstatement impossible. Slide the bolt through the hole in the locking aperture and insert it into the barrel from beneath the hole. You’ll hear a ‘click’ sound as the bolt fixes itself into the barrel and is secured to the container. Check the seal by trying to pull apart the two pieces – it is not possible to re-open the seal with your hands so you can check the seal is closed by trying to pull the pin and barrel apart again.

A standard container has two doors, each fitted with locking bars with cams which lock into keepers located at the bottom of the container. The locking bars have handles with holes through which a seal can be attached to. The left door of the container is closed first, followed by the right door, so seals should be placed on the right-hand door for security.

Please note also, that you should be careful to only use barrier seals which have an anti-spin design. One of the known methods of defeating supposedly ‘tamper-evident’ bolt seals is by taking advantage of the free play of the pin available in inferior bolt seals – the pin is spun out of the barrel using a drill, allowing the seal to be opened and then re-sealed without signs of tampering. Our anti-spin designs prevent these kinds of attacks, as the pin cannot move completely freely.

Correct Location for Sealing Containers with Security Seals

The best location to seal the container is at the bottom of the right-hand door, where a security cam with a hole through engages into a special locking keeper. This is the most tamper-resistant location for placing of a security seal, and is the preferred location where available on containers with this anti-theft locking device. However, not every shipping container has this type of modification on the cam/keeper arrangement, and if not then the only other location where bolt seals should be placed is on the handle attached to the locking bar nearest to the door edge (i.e. the leftmost locking handle on the righthand door). It is not acceptable to seal the handles on the left-hand door, as the righthand door opens first.

Should I use More than One Container Seal?

There is no fixed rule on how many seals you should put on a shipping container, but every shipping container must have at least one seal located in one of the appropriate places. Technically there could be up to six places where seals can be sealed on a shipping container… It should be noted however, that seals do not actually prevent theft and pilferage – a committed thief with the appropriate tools can cut six seals just as easily as one!

Sealing and Recording Security Seal Use

If you are the sender of finished cargo loaded into FCL containers, and you are in a position to do so, we would always recommend that an authorised member of your team is present when the container doors are locked and the seal is applied – an image with time/date stamp can be really valuable in the event of discrepancies. Sending this image to the consignee is always good practice. Additionally, and particularly for LCL shipments, we would suggest that you ask your freight forwarders to send pictures of the seal (with seal number visible) on the container once sealed, again affixed with a date/time stamp. Such images can become very important in the event of loss or damage to cargo, as they can demonstrate to surveyors and insurance companies of the best practice of the parties to the insurance contract, and help them to determine the veracity of the claim.

Port and Customs Requirements for container seals

Shipping Lines and Bills of Lading

Shipping lines will only accept shipping containers for freight movements passing through customs borders with at least one container seal. The corresponding seal should be clearly noted on all road manifests, waybills and/or Bills of Lading to minimise the risk that shipments are delayed through the customs process. Bills of Lading provide key information about each shipping container movement, including shipping line, third parties, container ID number, weights/ classifications of contents, and also the seal number. As an interesting aside, it is thought that the very first Bills of Lading appeared for the first time in Spain, as early as 1544! An example Bill of Lading is shown below for illustration...

Customs Agencies and Security Container Checks

The Customs Department of respective national governments have the authority to conduct checks and random inspections on shipping containers passing through their jurisdiction at any time. During an inspection, any trader or freight forwarder security seal previously applied will be broken, so that the container and its contents can be checked against lodged customs paperwork and any discrepancies.

Once inspection is finished, it is likely that a prescribed ‘customs seal’ will be placed to re-secure the shipping container and to keep the contents safe on its ongoing journey. If you see an official customs seal applied to your container you know that your shipping container has been checked by customs authorities, rather than providing an indication that tampering has taken place.

If discrepancies or other issues with the shipping container has been discovered by customs authorities, they may apply one of a number of remedial steps in order to address the situation, which will depend precisely on the nature of the breach. It is important at this stage to take on board all of the customs authorities’ demands or requests, which may include deviating freight to onward freight handling terminals for further investigation, requests for additional customs duties, or other remedial action.

How Do You Remove a Container Seal?

It is suggested that the following steps are taken on receipt of a shipping container to ensure that no tampering has taken place:-

What Should I do if My Container Seal is Broken or Missing?

A broken container seal indicates that cargo and goods inside the container may have been tampered or interfered with. If your container arrives with a broken or no seal, you should immediately contact the shipping line and their insurance company, for further investigation and a potential claim for compensation due to loss or damages pursuant to the any breach of contract.

If you do believe that you have been victim of a potential unauthorised tampering or interference attack, the best course of action is to act thoroughly and promptly:-

If you found this article useful, please share with your colleagues and members of the shipping industry. You can also view all Container Security Seals in our range here, including our High-Security Locktainer 2020 Bolt Seals.

The range and different types of security seals and tags can be confusing to the uninitiated, so we have produced the below quick visual guide for understanding some of the key differences, and how particular types of security seals might be suited to use cases in your organisation. For further help and assistance, please contact us at [email protected]

Plastic Indicative Seals, 2 types: (1) Pull-Through Seals seal through locking chamber & pull progressively tighter, suitable for sealing of mail & cash bags; (2) Fixed Length Seals form a fixed loop, suitable where over-tightening might cause accidental breakage in transit (such as trailer hasps).	Security padlock seals are fixed length seals which are small and suitable for sealing of small enclosures like trolley apertures, first aid and other equipment kits, security bag zippers etc. They can easily be sealed and broken by hand for quick and convenient application.	Bolt security seals provide barrier control for shipping containers. They consist of a counterpart barrel and pin with duplicate numbering, sealed together and requiring bolt cutters to remove. They must meet ISO17712 high security standards and are suitable for cross-border customs movements.
Metal Cable seals are strong barrier seals, and in their heavier gauge options (Flexigrip 325M and Flexigrip 500M) are also ISO17712 'High Security' approved for customs movements. The pliable wire cable can be flexibly used to seal through hasps and around vertical locking bars, providing increased security.	Metal strip seals are useful option between plastic indicative seals and heavier duty cable and bolt seals - they provide a higher tensile strength of between 50KgF - 100KgF compared to plastic seals, but are most cost-efficient compared to cable and bolt seals. Their thin straps make them well-suited for sealing small apertures, such as TIR cords and railcars.	Meter wire seals are products suited to sealing utility (gas and electric) & taxi meters. They range from simple plastic and metal seals which can be crimped onto sealing wire with pliers, to more sophisticated self-locking seals with inner mechanism. Wire seals are produced with narrow gauge wire to fit through the small apertures of meters (<1mm).
Tote box plug seals are a specific type of fixed length seals designed to securely seal the lids of attached lid containers (ALC's) firmly shut. Plug seals seal down flush on to lids, making stacking of tote boxes easier, and can also be produced with paired numbering to seal both of end of the crate with the same security number.	Security labels and tapes are their own category of security seals which work on the basis of their tamper-evident film and adhesive properties, rather than by mechanical anti-tampering. By their nature, they are suitable for sealing flat surfaces, such as carton and pallet seams and edges.	Electronic seals are their own subset of security seals which use electronic sensors to detect a tamper-evident state. They are generally reusable seals with a higher initial cost which is spread over many thousands of uses.

Our friendly and knowledge team would be happy to discuss your security seals needs - please contact us at [email protected] or +44 (0) 1829 76000.

Security seals can help to protect your cargo, valuable assets and confidential items. They serve an important role in loss prevention through reducing the incidences of theft, fraud and lost goods. Every year, hundreds of millions of pounds of valuable cargo is lost in such ways – and seals are one way in which these losses can be prevented at a tiny fraction of that price.

However, your cargo and your business are only protected properly when security seals are used as part of your wider supply chain, and due consideration has been made to the complete security of your logistics operations. Most risks which security seals are designed to mitigate – theft, pillage sabotage, smuggling etc – are human behavioural issues, and as such just as much attention should be paid to the humans involved in your security processes as to sourcing the appropriate seal itself.

No matter how well a security seal has been designed, seals only work if you have security at both ‘ends’ – at the point of sealing and at the point of opening – which in turn relies upon the security and reliability of your people. This goes to the very complex issue of organisation’s values and management systems, and how these are communicated to everyone working in the organisation. This of course goes beyond the scope of security seals, but what we can do below is to outline useful pointers to consider when setting up your protocols for security seals and how they fit into your wider supply chain.

Onion Skin Security

The ‘onion skin’ principle is very useful when considering security measures – the idea being that an organisation should have a layered approach to security, so that if one security measure fails, then another will not. For example, consider combining security seals on a larger enclosure such as trailer doors, with security labels on smaller enclosures, such as pallets of cargo or even individual cartons of product.

This can apply not only to physical layers of security seals, but also in security methodologies applied. For example, CCTV in areas where seals are stored, sealed and opened will help you to identify suspicious activity or instances where personnel are not following agreed security protocols.

Custody of Seals

Consider this question: which individual within your organisation is responsible for the purchase of security seals? What would happen if a bad actor within your organisation ordered “copycat” seals for their own nefarious activities and started to use them... would you have systems in place to identify this? Are you using a reputable manufacturer of security seals who have systems to help? This is to illustrate the point that even before security seals have arrived on site, you need to be mindful that seals can be a target for fraudsters. Security seals can act as a false positive that all is well with consignments, and therefore are of value to individuals attempting to hide tampering. The risk increases once seals have arrived to your location, where they are at physical risk of interference. Would you notice if a box of seals was taken by an opportunist?

To minimise risks, security seals should be stored in a secure storage area, ideally with limited access by senior members of your team, and covered by CCTV to pick up any out of the ordinary circumstances. It is recommended that particular seal number ranges are allocated and distributed to designated teams in appropriately sized batches, as necessary for your operations. This can provide a tight audit trail and help to identify vulnerabilities as and when seal tampering / anomalies arise.

Keeping Track of Data

Allied to the above is the importance of recognising that seal numbers are important data which should be collected, collated and stored in a secure way as would be the case with any other type. Keep a controlled record of security number ranges being dispensed out and account for every seal being applied using a documented system.

Using barcoded seals can be useful and is increasingly common. Barcodes can be integrated with barcode readers on PDA’s for automated incorporation into your processes, and reduces the likelihood of human error. If you are using a paper-based system (as is still common for road manifests and bills of lading), make sure that a consistent process is followed, and make copies for archival where appropriate. Consider using seals with duplicated barcode labels on the reverse, which can be simply applied to corresponding manifests / paperwork, rather relying on rewriting or rekeying seal numbers.

Variation

Our seals are highly customisable and can be produced in different colours and with different markings – we can print QR codes, data matrices, logos, barcodes, and many other types of information. Consider using a system of colour or marking rotation, be that on a periodic rotation basis, or using different marked seals for different operations or teams.

Seal Checks

It almost goes without saying, but physically checking seals for tell-tale signs of interference is all-import for the integrity of your supply chain. Fraudsters are ingenious and will try many ways to defeat seals. We produce a ‘known methods of intrusion’ document, available to Universeal UK customers, which can help you to recognise and train your staff in the ways that bad actors attempt to circumvent security seals. Please speak to your Account Manager for further information.

Staff Training and Escalation

Loss prevention and security protocols can only ever be as good as the team implementing them, and efforts need to placed into educating appropriate staff members on the correct way to handle, seal, open and dispose of seals appropriately. Once trained, there should be formal repercussions for failing to report issues with seals as they arrive, for example a failure to report mismatched seals on consignments, anomalies, failures to apply seals, and so on. A system of escalation should also be implemented – if particular members of staff are engaged in a pattern of behaviour or regularly failing to adhere to protocols, this should be flagged and reported to senior levels of management for investigation.

Stay Up-to-date with Legislation

Legislation does and has changed over the last few years, and we recommend using reputable security seal manufacturers who have been long-established and are well-acquainted with industry requirements. Universeal UK is a participating member of ISMA (the International Seal Manufacturer’s Association) and also in the ISO committee responsible for seal standards. We are at forefront of the development of security seals and tamper-evident packaging. We regularly post updates about developments in the field and best practices to our customers, so that they can ensure they are using security seals appropriately.

We hope this guide has been helpful... read on for a full of glossary of terms! Contact us to discuss your security needs today – email [email protected] or call us on +44 (0) 1829 760000.

This article is the third of four, looking at how security seals can fit within your wider security protocols. View Series below...

1.        What are Security Seals?
2.        Choosing the Best Security Seal for the Job
3.        Security Protocols: Making Security Seals work for you
4.        Glossary – Understanding security seal terminology