We all know that transparency and traceability in the textile value chain are playing an increasingly important role and that traceability and the identification of materials used are important to ensure the sustainability and integrity of products. For this reason, Switzerland based premium brand FTC Cashmere has decided to work with Haelixa, a spin-off of the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), which has developed an innovative technology which uses DNA to mark and trace products.
FTC Cashmere is 100% vertically integrated and Haelixa, as a neutral partner, provides additional physical proof of origin for the cashmere used, thus creating maximum transparency with regard to the entire value chain, FTC says.
This gives retailers and end consumers the necessary certainty regarding the origin of the material used. The information about the raw material used remains inseparably linked to product throughout the entire value chain. All cashmere raw material that comes from the company’s own cashmere goat farms, used in FTC Cashmere products, is now marked with the Haelixa marker produced especially for FTC Cashmere. Starting Spring/Summer 2021, the first products made from the marked raw material will be available in stores and will be labelled with the ingredient label Marked & Traced by Haelixa.
The Haelixa marker is based on DNA and is dissolved in water and applied directly to the raw material. According to FTC, the DNA marker does not affect the product properties and the cashmere maintains its high quality. The marker is robust to withstand the different steps of industrial processing, such as spinning, dyeing and washing, FTC adds. At the same time, it is said to be harmless to humans and the environment, GMO-free, vegan and recognized by GOTS and OEKO-TEX 100.
With a simple test, performed in the Haelixa laboratory in Switzerland, the marker can be detected in the garment without destroying the product, FTC concludes.
Quality, efficiency, and productivity are important – so are human and ethical values, the company says. This aspect of FTC Cashmere has been a priority for owners Jutta and Andreas Knezovic since they founded the business in 2003. Specializing in high-quality, cashmere knits in the premium segment, FTC Cashmere stands for elegant, pure, coveted fashion and luxury articles as well as for a strong sense of responsibility with respect to fairer, ethically correct manufacturing conditions.
Watch the FTC Cashmere film…
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