At least 20 people have reportedly died and many others were in a critical condition after consuming a counterfeit version of "raki," a popular anise-flavored liquor in Turkey, says the Intl. Hologram Mfrs. Assn. (Shepperton, England) in a press release.

According to reports, bootleg versions of raki were labeled with genuine holograms, 500,000 of which were stolen from a bottling plant for one of the country's most popular brands. The use of these labels made it impossible for consumers to distinguish between genuine and fake bottles. The counterfeit version of the drink was said to contain poisonous methyl alcohol.

"Holograms are widely used around the world to protect secured documents and branded goods from counterfeiting," the IHMA said, in a prepared statement. "Their effects cannot be reproduced by color copiers, scanners or printers, which are the most common method for producing fake packaging or documents. Close examination of copies will invariably show them to be fakes. It is for these reasons that holograms have been used successfully to protect all manner of items from banknotes, passports and tax stamps to spirits, software and medicines."

But holograms, like other security devices, can't protect themselves from theft. As a rule, the IHMA recommends that any holograms used for authentication purposes are manufactured, distributed, stored and subsequently applied under secure conditions to minimize theft. Assuming these conditions are met, the theft will be identified and provide an early warning that the products for which they are destined are likely to be counterfeited, the IHMA says.