H. Dawson Wool will use SigNature T® to assure the originality and authenticity of loose wool fiber.

Applied DNA Sciences (APDN), Stony Brook, N.Y., a provider of DNA-based anti-counterfeiting technology and product authentication solutions, has announced a global exclusive agreement with international wool supplier H. Dawson Wool for the use of APDN’s SigNature T® anti-counterfeiting system for DNA marking and authentication of wool fiber.

H. Dawson Wool will use SigNature T to assure the originality and authenticity of loose wool fiber that will be DNA-marked and traceable in products created by H. Dawson Wool customers, such as manufacturers of wool carpets, and fashion houses producing high-end apparel and other articles. It is the second major contract for use of SigNature T signed within a month, and extends the fast-growing “universe of DNA-marked goods” from cotton to wool, two of the main pillars of the world textile supply.

Company officials also pointed out that, since wool production tends to be fragmented and far-flung, wool supplier and aggregator H. Dawson Wool provides an effective centralized site for SigNature T marking.

The demand for high-quality natural fabrics continues to rise in Europe, China and other parts of Asia. In the United Kingdom, the value of the U.K. wool clothing market grew to 1.25 billion pounds from 2008 to 2010, including knitwear and work gear as well as suits and luxury fashion brands. Seventy per cent of the wool textiles manufactured in the U.K. are now sold overseas, compared to 50 per cent thirty years ago, according to the U.K. news outlet, Metro.

H. Dawson Wool is a leading worldwide supplier of raw and semi-processed wool products to all levels of the demand chain. The company supplies high-quality wool to makers of carpets, bedding, apparel, blankets, home furnishings and industrial products. Operating with eight partner-offices worldwide, H. Dawson Wool has a global network of supply with access to the highest quality fibers, processing and latest fiber technologies. SigNature T will be used to protect this network.

APDN is a provider of botanical-DNA based security and authentication solutions that can help protect products, brands and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. SigNature DNA and DNANet®, the company’s principal anti-counterfeiting and product authentication solutions, essentially cannot be copied, provide a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators.

Source: Applied DNA Sciences