ZüRICH, SWITZERLAND, February 16, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Woolmark Company, the prestigious Italian wool fabric mill Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC), and Haelixa, the Swiss traceability company, took part in a trial to trace Australian wool fibers up to the final fabric.

Funded by Australian woolgrowers, The Woolmark Company (TWC) is an enterprise that focuses on investments that enhance the profitability, international competitiveness, and sustainability of Australian wool. In their operations, TWC seeks to be transparent and accountable. In line with this strategy, traceability is necessary to ensure transparency and maintain the credibility of TWC.

In December 2021, Haelixa marked wool fibers 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 has been applied to greasy wool and a second DNA marker to scoured wool. The first DNA identifies the origin of the Australian wool, while the second determines 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.

With increasing cost pressure and competition in the wool fabric market, traceability is becoming a prerequisite to proving authenticity and origin. TWC and Vitale Barberis Canonico support the culture of sustainability and collaboration.

“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,” says Gediminas Mikutis, CTO and Co-founder at Haelixa.


About The Woolmark Company

We undertake marketing campaigns and research and development within the global textile and fashion industries to drive demand for wool and ensure consumers have a range of quality wool apparel to buy, enjoy and treasure.

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.


About Vitale Barberis Canonico 1663

360 years, in the historical factory in Pratrivero, in the heart of Piedmont, the wool mill of Vitale Barberis Canonico has been creating prestigious textiles for the clothing industry. There are more than 450 employees, 40 agents throughout the world, 2 state-of-the-art factories in the Biella region, regarding both technology and business management, and 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.

Heritage, Innovation and Sustainability are the keywords of the company philosophy. In October 2013 it became a member of the international club Les Hénokiens reserved for family companies with at least two hundred years history.

About Haelixa

Haelixa pioneers the development and commercialization of physical product traceability solutions to ensure full end-to-end supply-chain consumer good traceability, with a focus on sustainably manufactured products, such as organic or recycled textiles. Based on DNA markers, the Haelixa technology is physically applied to the material and stays linked to it, providing a traceable physical fingerprint from producer to retail.

www.haelixa.com

Holly Berger
Haelixa
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