STONY BROOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (“Applied DNA,” “the Company,” NASDAQ: APDN), today announced that one of their ginning partners, the Woolam Gin in OΆDonnell, Texas, was awarded the Global Organic Textile Standard (“GOTS v5.0”) certification, making it the first certified U.S. organic cotton gin utilizing Applied DNAΆs molecular tagging system, which provides a single platform to tag, test, and track the organic cotton fibers throughout a certified supply chain. According to Control Union Certifications, a global certification body, Woolam Gin is 100 percent compliant with all standards and requirements for the GOTS v5.0 audit. Those standards and requirements examine the high level environmental criteria for processing organics, as well as socially responsible manufacturing practices. The GOTS certification coupled with USDAΆs National Organic Program (NOP) certification for organically grown cotton is the highest possible measurement standard.
According to the 2016 Textile Exchange Organic Cotton report, the global market value of organic cotton is $15.76 billion and continues to grow as more brands and retailers expand their organic cotton collections. In the U.S., organic fiber sales represent about $1.3 billion (2015) which equals more than 37 percent of total organic non-food sales of $3.5 billion. The first molecularly verified organic cotton is expected to debut at retail in spring, 2018, using the "OrganiCott™” cotton fiber brand, providing a means for consumers to know where the organic cotton comes from, and that it follows a certified organic cotton process.
“In an environment where consumers are demanding more information about the origin and authenticity of their products, Applied DNA is proud to partner with Woolam Gin to integrate molecular tagging,” said Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA. “SigNature T assures that the organic cotton grown and ginned in Texas is not blended with other cottons from different origins or with non-organic cotton, thereby remaining pure throughout the supply chain, all the way to the consumer.”
Continued Dr. Hayward, “The tagging of organic cotton evidences Applied DNAΆs growing entrenchment in the U.S. cotton industry. The deployment of our tagging system, starting first with Pima cotton and continuing on to the Upland varietals and organic cotton reflects the importance industry participants today place on the use of technology to change the way that they source cotton and take control of their supply chain. Participating in the supply chain of certified organic cotton now sets the precedent for our participation in other certified organic supply chains, providing the assurance that both the manufacturers and consumers demand.”
Since 1999, on a world scale, there has been a four-fold increase in organic agricultural land (from 11 million to 43.7 million hectares in 2014 (FiBL & IFOAM - Organics International, 2016). The GOTS standard provides chain of custody assurance covering cotton processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading and distribution of home and apparel textiles made with organic fiber. The standard prohibits the use of toxic inputs during the processing stages and includes strong labor protections, including prohibitions on child labor. As of January 2017, more than 1.4 million workers were in more than 4,600 facilities in over 60 countries certified under GOTS.
“We are excited that GOTS has approved our ginning process utilizing the Applied DNA SigNature T molecular tag,” said Jimmy Wedel, president, Texas Organic Cotton Marketing. “Use of the molecular tag will give an added level of traceability, transparency and trust that are an important value to our cooperative and its members.” The Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, based in West Texas High Plains area, grew almost 80 percent of all the organic cotton in the U.S. in 2015.
“We are committed to a ginning process that authenticates our Texas organic cotton at its source,” said Kendall Harris, manager of Woolam Gin. “We take this commitment seriously and work hard to ensure that our organic cotton meets the highest standard to date. Woolam Gin is pleased to partner with Applied DNA and Control Union to complete our GOTS certification. This was a huge step and it is an honor to become the first GOTS v5.0 certified gin in the United States.”
About Woolam Gin
Woolam Gin is a third-generation family operated cotton gin in West Texas that has been in business since 1949. In 1991, we became the first gin in the United States to gin organic cotton. We are committed to staying on the cutting edge of technology and, therefore, processing cotton of the highest standard in the ginning industry. We take great pride in ginning quality cotton that produces the best product and, therefore, maximizes profit for our producers. We look forward to working with our producers to help them achieve their quality goals. Woolam Gin believes “Quality Pays!”
About OrganiCott™
OrganiCott™ is a trademark owned by Himatsingka America.
About Applied DNA Sciences
Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and DNA mass production for diagnostics and therapeutics.
We make life real and safe by providing innovative, molecular-based technology solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. The proprietary DNA-based “CertainT™” platform can be used to identify, tag, test, and track products, to help assure authenticity, origin, traceability, sustainability and quality of products.
SigNature® DNA describes the core technology ingredient that is at the heart of a family of uncopyable, security and authentication solutions such as SigNature®T and fiberTyping®, targeted towards textiles and apparel, BackTrac™ and DNAnet®, for anti-theft and loss prevention, and digitalDNA®, providing powerful track-and-trace. All provide a forensic chain of evidence, and can be used to prosecute perpetrators. Applied DNA Sciences is also engaged in the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction.
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Forward-Looking Statements
The statements made by APDN in this press release may be “forward-looking” in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDNΆs SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 6, 2016, and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed on February 9, 2017, May 11, 2017 and August 10, 2017 which are available at www.sec.gov. APDN, undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.