DNA Traceability
The leather industry supply chain is truly globalised.
Typically, the supply networks of leading brands and retailers comprise multiple tiers across numerous continents. Accordingly, the complexity of such supply chains directly contributes to difficulties in management and is further exacerbated by the vast networks of independent suppliers, manufacturers, and raw material sources across the leather sector.
Significantly, Eurofins | BLC studies suggest that a typical footwear supply chain could incorporate hundreds of different of tanneries. In turn these tanneries could be sourcing from as many as 500 slaughterhouses and potentially millions of farms. Furthermore, the leather making process potentially encompasses a myriad of environmentally and socially sensitive aspects, including animal welfare, labour compliance and environmental pollution These factors serve to emphasise the strategic importance of a thorough supply chain management process.
Consequently, traceability is absolutely fundamental in identifying and understanding networks of supply and, ultimately, will deliver robust oversight and management of supply chain challenges.
There is currently no complete and reliable system for managing traceability within the entire value chain, from the farm to the retailed product. Eurofins | BLC Leather Technology Centre is therefore working in partnership with Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS) on a unique project that aims to develop a system that will provide full traceability throughout the leather supply chain.
The project will investigate the feasibility of generating unique botanical-based synthetic DNA markers that have a strong affinity to collagen (the principle protein within skin and therefore leather). The markers, which can be unique to a specific operation or facility, will be designed to be recovered and detected when subsequently tested at designated stages throughout the leather production process, even in finished leather/product.
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For further information about this project, please contact us via [email protected] or call us on +44(0)1604 679999.
21 March 2017