The Woolmark Company, Italian wool fabric mill Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC), and Swiss traceability company Haelixa are working on a project to trace Australian wool fibres up to the final fabric.
The Work So Far: In December 2021, Haelixa marked wool fibres with their DNA tracing solution. There are infinite DNA markers that could be produced and used to indicate a specific origin, supply chain, material, or particular collection.
- In this case, a single DNA was applied to greasy wool and a second DNA marker to scoured wool.
- The first DNA identified the origin of the Australian wool, while the second determined the manufacturer where the wool has been further processed—at Vitale Barberis Canonico mill. [The Biellese woollen mill is the symbol of “Made in Italy” excellence, producing quality fabrics with fine wools since 1663.]
- Samples were collected from various production stages, where a qPCR test was used to detect each specific DNA marker. Haelixa uses a “Key-Lock” system to detect a marker; one needs to know the particular DNA to screen for, ensuring that the system is tamper-proof.
- The DNA markers stay safely embedded in the product, enabling traceability of greasy and scoured wool up to greige fabric and finished fabric, respectively.
The Players:
- The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that help fund the company.
- For 360 years, in the heart of Piedmont, the wool mill of Vitale Barberis Canonico has been creating prestigious textiles for the clothing industry. Vitale Barberis Canonico is among the top companies across the world producing prestigious textiles completely Made in Italy in terms of value and quantity and it is the largest exporter on a global level.
What They Said:
TWC and Vitale Barberis Canonico share with Haelixa the value of innovative change and quality. This collaboration is an example of their efforts to bring sustainable solutions to global supply chains.
— Gediminas Mikutis
CTO and Co-founder
Haelixa
