TEXTILES.ORG
Applied DNA Sciences, a provider of DNA-based anti-counterfeiting technology and product authentication solutions, has announced the rollout of SigNature T, a new security platform specifically for textiles and apparel that provides a means to identify authentic fibers and assure the quality and performance of the original fiber.
According to the company, the DNA-based platform has been made possible by a proprietary (patent pending) breakthrough technology, recently developed by the company to identify textile raw materials as well as finished products. New binding and extraction techniques have enabled a cost-effective, more flexible, and robust anti-counterfeiting and anti-diversion protection for textiles and apparel, including military protective wear.
Fibers, yarn, fabric, garments and labels are marked with unique, secure and enduring SigNature DNA that can be definitively authenticated at any point in the supply chain. The product is unique because it becomes bound to the fiber, enabling lower levels of DNA marking than previously thought, but it does not impact the performance or aesthetics of the fiber or the fabric.
Its application requires virtually no change to the existing production process, and can be controlled so that each bale or batch can be marked and tracked throughout the supply chain. Hundreds of millions of kilograms of fiber can be marked using a single DNA marker, offering strong adhesion to the fiber, and providing a means to authenticate anywhere along the supply chain.
Company officials say that these features outmatch competitive methods for “tagging textiles,” which use generic, non-specific compounds that will not stand up to the processing of textiles, nor multiple launderings, nor dry cleanings after the item is purchased by the end user.