DNA Testing Could Put an End to Fake Egyptian Cotton

In a small laboratory housed in a biotech incubator 90 minutes east of New York City are six bins tightly packed with sealed plastic bags of men’s dress shirts, sheets, and tufts of cotton ready to be spun into yarn. The materials are waiting to be DNA-tested with the same rigor you’d find in an FBI crime lab. But rather than seeking clues in a murder, the forensic scientists at biotech company Applied DNA Sciences are looking for a unique DNA stamp in the fibers to see whether the textiles are, in fact, made of the premium cotton their labels claim.

The products have been sent to Applied DNA Sciences by a group of retailers and manufacturers trying to avoid the fate of Target, which recalled 750,000 fake Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases after discovering they contained a less expensive form of cotton. Following Target’s move, Walmart said it would also offer customers refunds on Egyptian cotton sheets made by the same manufacturer, Welspun India. JCPenney and Bed Bath & Beyond are investigating their products. Welspun, which is being sued for consumer fraud in federal courts, said it’s adopting new labeling practices and has hired Ernst & Young to audit its supply process.