New physical origin assurance programme for US cotton
The US Cotton Trust, a sustainability programme and traceability platform for US Cotton growers, is to launch a new physical assurance programme.
This programme will implement forensic isotopic analysis to validate the origin of US cotton. The launch will follow a successful pilot with forensic origin verification platform Oritain.
New Zealand-based Oritain’s technology combines forensic science and statistics to detect naturally occurring elements in fibres. Soil composition and other environmental factors give the fibre an inherent ‘fingerprint’ specific to each location. Oritain calls this the ‘origin fingerprint’.
It said it was proud to become a partner of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, adding that, while digital traceability can provide important visibility, physical verification goes further.
Analysing samples from supplier members and validating their claimed origin against Oritain’s proprietary database, it explained that it was able to add a layer of assurance that documentation alone cannot deliver.
Its chief customer officer, Gemma Lynch, added: “Physical verification is the missing layer in many traceability systems today.”
President of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, Dr Gary Adams, said: “Cotton from different regions carries distinct forensic characteristics. Our partnership with Oritain is intended to help inform and support US origin declarations through independent scientific analysis.”
