Scratch & Sniff!

Saw this little sticker on perfume bottle someone gifted. Scratch on the sticker and smell to sample the perfume. The smell goes off after some time and you'll have to scratch it again to sample the smell. Wonderful! Manufacturers can give out catalogs of their perfume collection with scratch and sniff stickers stuck on the papers. May be packaged food vendors can let consumers smell the food before buying.

The technology behind it is called "Micro Encapsulation" where tiny droplets of the scent are encapsulated in a membrane and embedded on the paper. When it is scratched, some of the capsules break and release the scent. Apparently the technology has been there since 1970. The prices are also very reasonable, here's one manufacturer's price list. I wonder why I don't see it more often.

And how about extending it to "Scratch & Taste"? Don't be surprised when you see someone licking an ice cream packet the next time you visit the store. Of course the stickers would have to be "Peel - Scratch - Taste & Throw" labels. :)