Page 60 - May-June-2018

60 61
There are a number of commercial, units to the product sold the next actor, such as product back to country of origin. straightforward manner to test for genetically modi-
technology-based solutions for cotton traceability fabric, so that the amount “allocated” does not 2. Ginning molecule away™. gen-1, which change according to temperature, The cotton fibers are "fingerprinted" and verified in An inherent risk that can be abused by unscrupulous fied organisms in organic cotton. Samples are
either in development or available to the market now. exceed the amount “received.” Although BCI’s Upon arrival at the gin, each module identification is altitude and precipitation, and ratios of carbon-13 to the fields by an independent authority, Oritain. analyzed using qPCR (real-time polymerase chain
These include block-chain systems, software current system does not physically trace Better logged into a database. After ginning, each bale is SigNature T is a custom, botanically-based DNA carbon-12 or nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14, which vary Oritain's scientific technique identifies natural reaction) technology, which can identify known
solutions, and the insertion of traceable fibers and Cotton through the supply chain, end-to-end tracea- labeled with a permanent bale identification tag. A molecule that bonds tenaciously to fibers at the based on soil conditions, feed consumed and farm chemical parameters that are unique and distinctive genetically modified materials at a limit of 0.1%. Test
DNA markers at time of ginning. While these bility strengthens the credibility of Better Cotton sample taken from each side of the bale is collected source. Our fully-automated DNA Mixing and practice for example, are examined by Oritain. to the cotton’s environment. This creates a results clearly indicate whether these GMOs were
products are becoming more readily available, the claims made by our retailer and brand members. and identified with the same number. Samples are Distribution system ensures that fibers are tagged one-of-a-kind "cotton fingerprint" that travels with detected or not. Organic cotton products seeking
reality is that for most brands, cotton traceability sent to one of ten USDA classing offices. thoroughly. After tagging and compacting, bales are These specific Isotope ratios among many others each product and is coded and stored in a data- STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification will be
remains a largely manual process that relies on the Cotton LEADS TM barcoded so that when a sample of fiber is submit- yield better results when analyzed by Oritain, further base. It can be tracked from start to finish, forming required to undergo GMO testing. GMO testing is
provision of evidence by people in businesses at Cotton LEADS is a program born out of partner- 3. Classing ted for authentication, it can be traced back to a adding the approach we take to verify the origin of a the most transparent system of supply-chain integrity optional for other products. Currently, the GMO
TM
various stages of production. ship between the Australian and U.S. cotton indus- Classing offices receive bale samples from the gin particular bale number, providing absolute proof of product. in the textile industry. It’s your guarantee that we testing technology is limited to cotton.
tries. The goal: engage and connect businesses and measure the fiber properties of each sample. All provenance. have traced the authenticity of your cotton every step
The following includes the companies that provide across the global supply chain with the leading cotton is tested using HVI (high volume instrument) Along with analyzing Isotopes, Oritain also analyses of the way. businesses is that they can potentially blend cottons The new GMO testing gives manufacturers and
cotton traceability: efforts in sustainable cotton production. methods by the USDA. U.S. cotton quality data is SigNature T DNA tags are designed to be compati- Trace Elements that occur in products via uptake Following are the tagging steps: from many origins, falsify documents etc. Hence, marketer’s confidence that their organic cotton
available from the USDA database. ble and stable in a wide range of textile substrates from the chemical composition of soils, water and 1. Ginning: Cotton Australia recommends sourcing from products meet regulatory and consumer expecta-
BCI – Better cotton tracer Cotton LEADS , the traceability test program and manufacturing processes. This secure and feeds. The Trace Elements of a “fingerprint” from Ginning is the separation of cotton from its seeds. businesses you have long-term, trusted relationships tions with regards to GMOs as well as the independ-
TM
BCI has a traceability system known as the Better launched to raise awareness regarding the responsi- 4. Identification cost-effective solution can help assure quality and products include essential elements sodium, The Wel-Trak process begins here, recording the with and that auditing processes are put in place to ent, traceable documentation to prove it.
Cotton Tracer. The Better Cotton Tracer is used as a ble growing practices among cotton producers in Every bale of cotton that enters the market from the provide forensic-level authentication in fiber, yarn, potassium, zinc, iron (Na, K, Zn, Fe) plus over 35 source and quality of all cotton in our state-of-the-art ensure traceability processes are being followed.
documentation and verification tool by BCI and BCI the U.S. and Australia, now has more than 100 textile U.S. is labeled with a unique bale identification fabric and finished products. others. database. ICA Bremen
business signatories, including Brooks Brothers, number and barcode identifier. The identification 2. Spinning: Traceability Testing Services ICA Bremen is an 'international center of excellence'
Fruit of the Loom and Central Textiles. number identifies the gin, classing office and unique Molecular tagging and authentication helps custom- By collecting samples of your product we analyses Spinning is the twisting together of cotton fiber to The relevant third-party testing services include: for cotton testing, research and quality training. ICA
bale. ers: both Stable Isotopes and Trace Elements which are form yarn. Wel-Trak tags every yarn pallet, identifying Bremen combines the global reach of International
1. Build trust and credibility then run through our unique statistical models to the types of cotton used and the processes OEKO-TEX® Cotton Association (ICA) with the quality expertise of
5. Warehouse 2. Protect reputation and intellectual property determine the products origin. deployed. The popularity of organic cotton has grown substan- Bremer Baumwollboerse (BBB) and the Bremen
After ginning and classing, cotton bales are ware- 3. Assist quality control and assurance efforts 3. Weaving: tially in recent years. Consumers are increasingly Fibre Institute (FIBRE).
housed and ready for purchase. Cotton purchases 4. Comply with applicable laws The method uses statistical models to determine a Weaving interlaces yarn to form fabric. Wel-Trak tags worried about the environment and about harmful
stakeholders involved in sourcing cotton as Better and sales are typically managed by merchants, as 5. Promote legal enforceability of transactions chemical fingerprint of origin and tests samples and monitors the fabric as it is woven. substances in the products. For organic textiles It provides DNA testing services for the traceability of
Cotton. The Better Cotton Tracer is the most As sustainability becomes more seamlessly integrat- well as cooperatives. Spinning mills have the ability 6. Minimize losses by reducing illegal activity against this specification. A decision limit is based 4. Finishing: customers are willing to pay premium But, in return cotton varieties in the different processing stages
widely-used and the only end-to-end traceability ed into the cotton supply chain, programs like to trace bales back to their origin and can access 7. Monitor and verify supply chain on a suitable confidence interval of this specification Finishing improves appearance, feel, performance,
The traceability of raw materials through cotton and application of products, parts and materials to system of its kind in the cotton industry. Any ginner, Cotton LEADS assist businesses in achieving their data on each bale. to determine ‘consistent’ or ‘inconsistent’ with a and durability. Wel-Trak meticulously scans and
supply chains has become a very important issue for ensure the reliability of sustainability claims, in the merchant, supplier, agent or retailer can use our sustainability goals. SigNature T Oritain claimed origin. The choice of this decision limit is records every fabric roll.
brands and retailers wanting greater levels of areas of human rights, labor (including health and system no matter where they are located in the world Backed by the power of forensic science, SigNa- Oritain can monitor supply chain to provide reassur- based around maximizing the True Positive Rate (the 5. Cut and Sew:
visibility around where products originate. It’s a fast safety), the environment and anti-corruption. As part for any Better Cotton-related raw material or finished The apparel industry should note that while just 33 ture® T molecular tags can be applied at the gin, ance about the integrity of products. It can test the percentage of genuine samples that are correctly Cut & Sew is where fabric is turned into a product.
evolving area that has proved a challenge for many of ensuring traceability and transparency, supply product: from seed cotton to t-shirts. It is simple, percent of consumers seek out environmentally allowing for cotton to be tracked and authenticated fiber at any stage of manufacture to check it is classified as ‘consistent’) and lowering the corre- Wel-Trak registers, records, and tags every product
commodities, including cotton. chain mapping is an important exercise to track lean and user-friendly, which are the keys for devel- friendly clothes for themselves, 69 percent would be sponding False Positive Rate of tested samples (the with a QR code which provides information about the
down the various modes in the chain till the very last oping a system that could be used by a ginner in bothered if they found out they purchased some- percentage of genuine samples that are incorrectly cotton source.
Transparency in supply chains becomes a major node of the cotton farming region from where the Africa, a supplier in Turkey or a retailer in San thing that wasn’t produced sustainably, according to classified as ‘Inconsistent’). Due to the nature of 6. Pack and Ship: for that extra investment, consumers expect the with suitable and reliable analytical tools. ICA
challenge for brands aiming to implement cotton for the apparel comes. Despite understanding Francisco with equal ease. the Cotton Incorporated 2013 Environment Survey. chemical analysis and statistics, the models Pack & Ship is how a product gets to its destination. organic products they buy to be genuine and Bremen runs the following tests for companies:
sustainability at every level. Traceability has become these issues, not many companies have taken And 40 percent would hold the manufacturer respon- deployed by Oritain have associated error rates Wel-Trak records every product as it begins its verifiable as such. New testing from OEKO-TEX® 1. Hvi Testing
a larger concern as high profile incidents have come action, perhaps because of lack of easy availability End-to-end traceability simplifies the administrative sible, followed by the brand or store (20%), and (False Positive / False Negative). Oritain adopts journey to homes like yours. helps companies throughout the global supply chain 2. Trash Testing
to light, demonstrating that many companies are of traceability technology. process for Better Cotton sourcing, particularly for themselves (12%). multiple processes to reduce these errors and 7. Retail: easily test their organic cotton products for GMOs 3. Stickiness Testing
unable to track where their products come from: retailer and brand members who drive Better Cotton throughout the entire supply chain, from the raw fiber consistent with where it claims to be from. always ensures an emphasis is placed on achieving Look for the Wel-Trak logo on cotton sheets and (genetically modified organisms), a molecular-level 4. Micronaire
much less who created them, the conditions under Brands and retailers are increasingly expected to uptake. Having an end-to-end traceability system The Cotton LEADS program is validated by the stage all the way to the retail shelf. SigNature T a high correct classification of True Positives. The towels in stores to rest assured that the cotton is indicator of whether or not cotton products actually 5. Afis
which they were created in and the impact on the understand their supply chains, and be transparent allows BCI retailer and brand members to receive national-level oversight, regulatory enforcement, and tagging protects the cotton supply chain by provid- A products' origin can be identified using 'finger- specifics of these error rates will be disclosed to the authentic. meet a fundamental definition of organic. 6. Manual Classing
environment. Awareness of where the product about where products are being made right back to documentation and information about the volume of transparency practices that are common to both the ing assurance of quality and provenance, and helps prints' derived from the chemical compositions of Client following the completion of work and a 7. Dna Testing
comes from becomes an important first step to raw material production. Traceability is very Better Cotton they source electronically. Added U.S. and Australia. Combined, the two countries brands guarantee label claims with certainty. plants and animals. These compounds vary naturally statement of Fit for Purpose by Oritain. Australian Cotton To qualify as organic and to be marketed as such, 8. G Trash
initiate any kind of intervention to improve the important and that company shareholders and simplicity for BCI’s members helps to support our account for about 17 percent of global cotton throughout the environment. Australia can trace a bale of cotton back to the field cotton must meet a comprehensive list of criteria 9. Mdta
livelihoods of farmers growing their cotton. Moreover, consumers increasingly want assurances that mission of establishing Better Cotton as a responsi- production. For Pima fiber (genetically known as G. Wel-Trak Promise in which it was grown, but beyond the spinning mill governing the cultivation, processing, and segrega-
sustainable processes must be used to convert this on-product claims about branded cotton can be ble mainstream solution. barbadense), we also conduct “fiberTyping” of the Ratios of stable Isotopes (non-radioactive atoms of Wel-Trak traces your cotton’s journey, so that you traceability for Australian cotton becomes more tion of the cotton. One major requirement is that the DNA testing for the cotton traceability includes the
cotton into quality textile and garments. properly verified. The ability to verify claims that your Cotton LEADS tagging test and tagging process: fibers to confirm they are truly Pima based on our the same element that contain different numbers of can guarantee the purity and authenticity of the complex as the fiber is often blended with cotton cotton plants cannot be genetically engineered. identification of genetically modified cotton and the
TM
product has been made with branded cotton is The Better Cotton Tracer records how much Better 1. Harvesting neutrons such as nitrogen, carbon and many others) products you purchase. Rest assured that cotton from other countries. While Cotton Australia can differentiation of cotton species such as Pima /
According to the United Nations Global Compact (a important for brand protection and risk Cotton is sourced by any user in the supply chain. Harvested cotton is formed into large rectangular or patented DNA test. Responsible sourcing eliminates are indicative of different regions. Typically ratios of grown on our farms meets your environmental, assist with traceability from the farm to the spinning New GMO testing by OEKO-TEX® provides a Gossypium B
issues facing the textile industry, such as conflict
UN body that has committed to implement universal management, for your brand cotton. Actors in the supply chain record the number of round units called modules. Each module is identi- cotton and fiber substitution. Certainty is only a oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 or hydrogen-2 to hygro- ethical, and quality standards — and has been mill, it’s the brand’s responsibility to establish the
sustainability principles), traceability is the ability to Better Cotton Claim Units (BCCUs) they received fied by a module identification tag, allowing the gin verified with Wel-Trak at every step. traceability for Australian cotton supply chains from
identify and trace the history, distribution, location Technology-based solutions for cotton traceability with a product, such as yarn, and allocate these to link a module to the location where it was grown.

May/June 2018 May/June 2018