Building Traceable Supply Chains featuring GenuTrace on WTiN Textile Innovation Podcast
By MeiLin Wan, GenuTrace
In a featured conversation on WTiN’s Textile Innovation podcast, host Abigail Turner welcomed MeiLin Wan, founder and CEO of GenuTrace, to explore how cutting-edge forensic science and traceability technology are transforming ESG compliance and supply chain transparency across textiles, personal care, and beyond.
From Beauty & Wellness to Supply Chain Integrity
MeiLin explained how her earlier 15+ years in the beauty and wellness sectors sparked a deeper concern: so many ingredient claims—“organic,” “pure,” “sustainably sourced”—lack verifiable proof.
That realization led her to Applied DNA Sciences, where she pioneered the use of forensic tools like DNA tagging and stable isotope analysis to trace cotton and recycled fibers across complex supply chains.
Consumers, regulators, and retail partners increasingly demand proof—not promises.
GenuTrace’s fusion of forensic testing and digital traceability empowers brands to deliver credible, verifiable claims—from origin and recycled content to ethical sourcing and sustainability.
Motivated by the need for scientifically grounded verification, MeiLin founded GenuTrace. Its mission: If you claim it, can you prove it?™—bringing lab-based authenticity and origin verification to companies of every size.
How GenuTrace Works: Science Meets Digital Traceability
At its core, GenuTrace integrates forensic physical testing with modular digital traceability systems:
Physical Testing: From raw cotton to essential oils, GenuTrace can fingerprint the material using stable isotope or trace element analysis. This fingerprint survives processing, enabling origin authentication even in finished goods.
Digital Integration: The scientific proof can then be linked to a digital system—whether blockchain, product passport, or QR code—that carries the data through the entire supply chain.
Scalable Design: Modular authentication systems that can support everything from forensic spot checks to fully traceable end-to-end programs, adaptable for global brands or small businesses.
What unites these capabilities is the promise of transparency backed by hard data—not just claims on a label
Overcoming Real-World Challenges
MeiLin identified several hurdles that GenuTrace addresses:
Bridging Forensic Science & Operations
Many companies talk about traceability, but few grasp the complexity of proving it scientifically—especially across multi-country suppliers.Accessibility for All Brands
GenuTrace designed solutions to be modular and cost-effective, so even SMBs can access credible traceability.Flexibility & Interoperability
GenuTrace integrates seamlessly with existing platforms—blockchain, ERPs, product passports—rather than forcing businesses into proprietary systems.Shifting Culture from Trust to Proof
In many supply chains, trust is based on paperwork or assurances. GenuTrace encourages brands to move from analog trust to scientific verification—the difference between a handshake and a lab report.
Application in Textiles & Apparel
In the apparel and textile sector, GenuTrace helps brands:
Validate cotton origin via stable isotope analysis, aligning with regulations like the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
Anchor recycled content claims using embedded markers, such as those incorporating TailorLux Integritex system.
Embed forensic verification within digital IDs so consumers can scan a QR code and see proof of origin, sustainable sourcing, and recycled content—all tied to lab data.
This approach helps companies meet fast-evolving ESG standards and regulatory mandates, while reinforcing consumer trust with verifiable evidence.
Filling the Traceability Gap
What truly sets GenuTrace apart?
Scientific verification—not just paper-based declarations or supplier affidavits.
Protection against greenwashing, recycled content fraud, and origin misrepresentation.
Unified data across fragmented supply chains—bringing consistency from source to retail.
By embedding forensic testing into product workflows and tying it to digital platforms, GenuTrace helps businesses move from assumption to assurance.
Types of Testing Offered
GenuTrace’s forensic toolkit includes:
Stable isotope analysis: Verifies geographic origin—for example, confirming cotton from Pakistan or flagging high-risk origin like Xinjiang.
Trace element analysis and molecular markers: Used in textiles, food, ingredients like argan oil, and more—tracking origin all the way from farm to finished product.
Marker systems for recycled polyester: Ensuring recycled content is authentic and not diluted or diverted through the supply chain.
The Role of Digitalisation & AI
Digital and AI technologies elevate GenuTrace’s model:
Real-time data tracking through blockchain, digital IDs, and product passports.
AI analytics to detect supply chain anomalies, predict compliance risks, and optimize forensic sample selection.
Streamlined lab-to-digital workflow, improving speed and efficiency in authentication and traceability.
This potent combination enables traceability to scale, delivering actionable insights to brands at all tiers.
Growing Demand & Global Reach
Growing interest and demand for GenuTrace services spans apparel, personal care, and recycled materials sectors.
Driven by a tightening regulatory landscape, consumer demand, and pressure from NGOs, brands are seeking traceability as both a compliance tool and brand differentiator. GenuTrace collaborates globally, customizing programs that combine forensic science, digital traceability, and transparent reporting. As MeiLin indicated, the long term vision ahead is to:
Make scientific traceability the norm, not the exception.
Expand lab and digital capabilities across textiles, personal care, food, and agriculture.
Ensure traceability is practical, accessible, and beneficial—not a barrier to trade.
Answer the core question confidently: If you claim it, can you prove it?™
Why This Matters
If you’re seeking to fortify your brand’s integrity and comply with global ESG mandates, GenuTrace offers the scientific tools and digital architecture to build trust rooted in evidence.
If you’re seeking to fortify your brand’s integrity and comply with global ESG mandates, GenuTrace offers the scientific tools and digital architecture to build trust rooted in evidence.
To learn more or set up a traceability program tailored to your needs, visit genutrace.com or email us at sales@genutrace.com
To listen to the full WTIN Podcast Ep. 128 – Building Traceable Supply Chains
