Applied DNA Sciences has announced it is collaborating with Cotton USA, a trademark of Cotton Council International (CCI), to display cotton traceability technology and What's New in Cotton — as part of the Cotton Cares collection at international fashion events this year. The Cotton Cares Collection is designed to introduce designers, established labels and the apparel industry to the process by which a brand can build a certified and traceable collection, that will provide answers to questions about purity, authenticity and ethical standards.

Applied's Traceability along with Signature T technology provides cotton traceability from the farm to the supply chain, through to store shelves. Forensic level origination is also tracked based on blockchain-enabled systems developed to verify SigNature T tagged fibre, yarn, fabric and finished goods. James A Hayward, President and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences says, "Being able to demonstrate that this tag, test and track technology is easily incorporated into the apparel manufacturing process is a good

first step to engaging product designers. The SigNature T molecular tag is safe and binds to cotton fibre in the first processing stage, at the gin. In the US, SigNature T has been used to tag over 150 million lbs. of U.S grown cotton since 2014 and is an easy solution to adapt resulting in 100 per cent product authenticity - a trait being demanded by more consumers around the globe. Brands and manufacturers now have a means to know exactly where their cotton comes from at any stage of the supply chain through SigNature T tagging, testing and tracking, he added.