CertainT® for Cotton
frequently asked questions
What is the CertainT Platform?
CertainT® is an integrated supply chain platform for verifying authenticity of cotton items from source to retail shelf. The three pillars of the platform, Tag, Test, and Track, enable brands and manufacturers to preserve the integrity and quality of the cotton in their supply chain. Consumers will have confidence that claims and ingredients listed on the label are present in the finished product. In short, CertainT provides traceability, transparency and trust for supply chain integrity.
What information does CertainT provide for cotton?
• What type of cotton am I sourcing?
• Where your cotton comes from and where it is going
• Is the original cotton present in my finished good?
• How do I prove that it’s my product?
How can CertainT be used to provide cotton provenance?
Applied DNA developed a system that addresses the complexities and uncertainties in cotton supply chains in 3 ways:
- Content Source – verify cotton fiber content via genetic and isotope natural fingerprints
- Origin – determine if the original fiber used in yarn, fabric and finished goods in your supply chain
- Brand Assurance – verify your brand’s product and/or packaging
What solutions are offered under the CertainT cotton program?
Applied DNA developed a system that addresses the complexities and uncertainties in cotton supply chains in 3 ways:
- Genotyping of cotton DNA – for content verification – e.g. Pima Cotton? Organic cotton?
- Stable Isotope technology – for geographic origin – e.g. Cotton grown in Australia
- SigNature T tag technology – for brand assurance – we create unique DNA tags to be used on labels, packaging and/or thread sewn into garments
Who are MIT LLC and Nature’s Fingerprint?
Applied DNA is partnering with US-based “Molecular Isotope Technologies LLC” (“MIT LLC”), a pioneer and leader in the application of natural-abundance stable-isotopic analysis provided under the trademark is Nature’s Fingerprint®. MIT LLC has two decades of experience providing patented services to the bio/pharmaceutical industry.
Can you explain Stable Isotope technology?
Natural abundance stable-isotopic “fingerprints” within materials provide innate chemical evidence of their chemical, geographic, and industrial provenance and major processing-dependent characteristics. They derive from the natural abundance of various stable isotopes including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and others that vary in their isotopic ratios and are present in the soil, water and other organic materials and become integrated with the chemical composition of a product from raw materials through synthetic intermediates to finished products. Thus, MIT LLC’s existing and pending U.S. patents encompass the use of natural-abundance stable isotopic analysis for establishing both product and process fingerprints.
Is this technology used only for cotton?
No. Natural abundance isotopes are applicable for natural and synthetic products. In the near future, this technology will be available for markets including hemp and pharmaceuticals.
