UL has entered into a collaboration with Applied DNA Sciences to lay the foundation for a significant new development in product authentication and supply chain traceability.

This partnership will enable UL to offer a series of Verification Marks for point-of-origin and product content, utilizing Applied DNA’s SigNature®molecular tags. The DNA tag marks products in order to create a unique “fingerprint” that can be traced throughout a product’s journey in the supply chain. This technology combined with UL’s expertise and experience in testing, audit, and inspection service offerings equips manufacturers, governments, trade organizations, brands and end consumers with a tool to validate the very source and content of products, thus instilling an added level of confidence and empowering trust. UL’s Verification Mark provides third-party verification, demonstrating to consumers that the supplier is taking steps to lead in the industry by having their products evaluated against UL’s highest standards for quality and integrity. 

“UL strives to help manufacturers, brands and retailers develop and bring safer products to market and empower consumer trust,” said Denis Koh, vice president and general manager for UL’s Consumer & Retail Services division. “The Verification Mark programs will help enable brands, retailers and manufacturers to trace and authenticate goods as they move along the supply chain and provide greater confidence that products enter the market as intended and from trusted sources”.

Dr. James Hayward, president and chief executive officer of Applied DNA said, “The UL Mark Verification program is an ideal platform for our SigNature molecular tags to assure brands, and consumers alike, the provenance of origin and to substantiate key marketing claims. The global footprint and existing relationships of the UL organization afford Applied DNA a unique opportunity to engage key customers and quickly scale in-field testing services to support supply chain quality and traceability requirements.”