By Brett Mathews

NEW YORK – Applied DNA Sciences, Inc, a leader in PCR-based DNA technology, has been awarded a subcontract from LRQA to participate in a pilot programme focused on isotopic testing for cotton traceability in Pakistan. Applied DNA will collaborate with Isotech, a subsidiary of Stratum Reservoir, to implement CertainT, its traceability platform, for this project.

CertainT provides forensic evidence to verify the origin and authenticity of materials throughout global supply chains. LRQA, a global leader in assurance, advisory, and inspection services, will work alongside Applied DNA and Isotech in the project.

The work supports the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Global Trace Protocol project, which aims to reduce child and forced labour in global supply chains through enhanced traceability methods. The project brings together various stakeholders, including global brands, experts in traceability, Pakistan’s cotton industry, and worker organisations. The goal is to develop, test, and refine a traceability tool that can eventually be applied to multiple commodities, helping to improve due diligence practices across industries.

Jeff Wheeler, director of the Global Trace Protocol project at LRQA, said: “New regulations require more detailed documentation to confirm the origin of cotton and prevent its sourcing from high-risk areas. Through this project and our work with Applied DNA, we’re developing traceability tools that offer increased transparency and security across global textile supply chains.”