GeoTyping™ and SigNature® T DNA Tagging will
Trace Global Cotton Substitution to Country-of-Origin
Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:APDN; “Applied DNA”, “the
Company”), today announced it will introduce a GeoTyping™ Beta
Program, for the month of February, to brands and retailers
interested in identifying country-of-origin in cases of cotton
fiber substitution. Applied DNA is asking those interested to
provide cotton samples suspected to contain cotton from Uzbekistan
(“Uzbek cotton”).
The “GeoTyping™ Beta Program uses a known library of biomarkers
that designate the DNA fingerprint of the cotton cultivar,
including genus, species and one of 70 different
geographic-cultivar-dependent genotypes. In 2017, Applied DNA
identified two biomarkers for Uzbekistan cotton, and has continued
to advance its DNA assays and broaden the validation of the
GeoTyping program.
It is an expansion of Applied DNA’s end-to-end SigNature® T
cotton traceability system, enabling the identification of the
country of origin for cottons that may be substituted for the
cotton specified on labels. For example, “Grown in America” cotton
might be substituted by an inferior quality of cotton sourced
off-shore. This technology ensures the country-of-origin is
properly identified on labels, and can help to prevent the entry of
cotton cultivated by human rights abusers.
“Our SigNature T cotton traceability system provides substantial
advantages over current supply chain management authentication,
such as RFID, data dots or ‘certificates of authenticity’,” said
Dr. James A Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA. “Today,
uncertainty of cotton supply chains remains if there is no way to
physically trace the fibers to their source, and verify through DNA
testing at yarn, fabric and finished goods. You cannot put an RFID
on every single fiber and expect it to remain on the finished good.
SigNature T combined with the GeoTyping Beta Program, provides full
traceability that is seamless, economical and exact.”
“Our high-resolution cotton GeoTyping assays can provide proof
of the sourcing crimes and human rights abuses in the CASH
Investigation expose.” Hayward continued. “GeoTyping complements
SigNature T tagging. Should non-compliance be suspected in a
SigNature T-participating textile, GeoTyping serves as the means to
identify the source of cotton fiber substitution.”
Recent reports have scrutinized hidden human rights abuses in
global cotton supply chains. On November 28, 2017, on prime time
French television, the CASH Investigative Team reported Uzbek
cotton was handpicked by forced labor organized on a large scale
(approximately 1 million people) by the Uzbek government. A
significant amount of this cotton was shipped (some with missing or
misleading statements of origin), to Bangladesh manufacturers that
supply products to many U.S., U.K. and E.U. brands. The report also
showed that suppliers who manufacture in South Korea, China and
Europe also received Uzbek cotton.
Posing as a European importer, the CASH team also captured a
conversation on hidden camera in which an Uzbek cotton product
manufacturer offered to designate the country of origin (as opposed
to Uzbekistan) that the buyer would prefer be stated on the
origination documents. The Uzbek exporter stated this was a very
common measure undertaken for companies purchasing Uzbek cotton
products, and that the risk of being caught falsely stating that
the product was manufactured in Bulgaria, for example, was almost
non-existent.
Many of the potentially affected brands had publicly pledged to
boycott Uzbek cotton in compliance with government laws, or were
participating in global cotton initiatives that promulgate
sustainability credits and ethical purchasing standards.
Nonetheless, these brands were wittingly or unwittingly using
manufacturers in their supply chain who were buying Uzbek cotton,
providing the opportunity for cotton obtained via human rights
abuse to enter their supply chains.
GeoTyping is meant to complement, not replace, SigNature T
tagging. The cost of this assay is comparatively higher due to the
equipment, reagents, and maintenance associated with maintaining
the extensive and annually-changing library of genomes against
which single samples must be compared. SigNature T tagging provides
a method to trace any fiber tested in a dedicated supply chain back
to the intended original source; it can also be assigned meaning
such as year, gin, or other attribute not possible from cotton’s
inherent DNA. Should non-compliance be suspected in SigNature
T-participating textiles, GeoTyping can serve as the means to
identify the source of cotton fiber substitution.
Applied DNA in concert with The Himatsingka Group utilizes an
integrated cotton DNA authentication platform that incorporates a
physical molecular tracer combined with genotyping. Together these
technologies serve to preserve the integrity and purity of the
cotton fiber at its precise point of origin – the date, time, place
and the social and environmental practices used to produce the
cotton. The collaboration with The Himatsingka Group provides for
tagging at source, testing compliance at every step in the supply
chain, and tracing of fabric and finished goods to the original
source. This SigNature® T platform includes an IT tracking
framework that is blockchain-ready, and permits the brand-owner,
retailer or consumer to confirm the content and origin of the
cotton fibers contained within their home textiles and garments.
Nine cotton gins participate in the US.
“The Himatsingka Group is pleased with the commencement of the
‘GeoTyping’ project which will ensure global cotton mapping
capabilities and further enhance transparency across the cotton
value chain, thus bringing greater value to the consumer,” stated
Shrikant Himatsingka, Managing Director & Group CEO,
Himatsingka Group.
For further information on the GeoTyping Beta Program, contact
textilesales@adnas.com.
Disclaimer: Applied DNA has no affiliation with CASH
Investigative team. The Company did not travel with the CASH
Investigative team. However, our staff have been direct witness to
the abundant presence of Uzbek cotton at firms manufacturing
well-respected global textile brands.
About The Himatsingka Group
The Himatsingka Group is a vertically integrated Textile major
with a global footprint. The Group focuses on the manufacturing,
retailing and distribution of Home Textile products. On the
manufacturing front, the Group operates amongst the largest
capacities in the world for producing Bedding Products, Bath
Products, ultrafine count Cotton Yarn and Decorative Fabrics.
Spread across Asia, Europe and North America, its retail and
wholesale distribution divisions carry some of the most prestigious
brands in the home textile space and cater to private label
programs of major retailers across these geographies. With a team
of over 6000 people, the Group continues to expand reach and build
capacities in the textile space.
About Applied DNA Sciences
Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable
supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft
technology, product genotyping and DNA mass production for
diagnostics and therapeutics.
We make life real and safe by providing innovative,
molecular-based technology solutions and services that can help
protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual
property of companies, governments and consumers from theft,
counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. The proprietary DNA-based
“CertainT®” platform can be used to identify, tag, test, and track
products, to help assure authenticity, origin, traceability,
sustainability and quality of products.
SigNature® DNA describes the core technology ingredient that is
at the heart of a family of uncopiable, security and authentication
solutions such as SigNature® T and fiberTyping®, targeted toward
textiles and apparel, BackTrac™ and DNAnet®, for anti-theft and
loss prevention, and digitalDNA®, providing powerful
track-and-trace. All provide a forensic chain of evidence, and can
be used to prosecute perpetrators. Applied DNA Sciences is also
engaged in the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences
using the polymerase chain reaction.
Visit adnas.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter and
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The Company’s common stock is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol
APDN, and its warrants are listed under the symbol APDNW.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements made by APDN in this press release may be
"forward-looking" in nature within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future
plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on
assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many
of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could
differ materially from those projected due to our history of
losses, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance,
market competition and various other factors detailed from time to
time in APDN's SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report
on Form 10-K filed on December 28, 2017, which is available
at www.sec.gov. APDN undertakes no obligation to update
publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new
information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise
required by law.
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