Vismederi Textyle becomes reference Center for the international association PETA “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” to guarantee the conformity of textile/tanning products so that they keep the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo.

Vismederi Textyle, in collaboration with the Vismederi group and the Centro Controllo Tessile of Prato, is pleased to inform you that it has further increased the peculiarity of its offer and its own sustainability policies, proposing, among the other technologies that have always been part of the Group’s know-how, a particular type of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis, specifically designed for checking the presence of substances of animal origin.

In recent years, with the advent of modern biotechnologies and the introduction of molecular biology techniques applied to the genetics of food authenticity, a turning point is in fact emerging in the traceability of organic raw materials used in all production sectors. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) represents today a gold standard for this type of analysis, as it has greater specificity, sensitivity and accuracy when compared to previous protein-based identification methods.

PCR

The polymerase chain reaction is a technique used to copy a specific sequence of DNA or RNA many times in a test tube, even starting from small quantities such as a single molecule. Typically, the goal of PCR is to produce copies of target sequences in quantities that can be analyzed or used for further experiments. For example, there may be a genetic marker used by forensic scientists to match crime scene DNA to different suspects. As with DNA replication in an organism, PCR requires a DNA Polymerase enzyme that creates new strands of DNA, using existing strands in the sample analyzed as templates.

Since the introduction of the polymerase chain reaction, a series of so-called PCR-based identification methods have followed one another, focused on different identification markers. One of the analytical techniques carried out by the Vismederi group is specific for the identification and characterization of substances of animal origin within any type of textile or tanning material.

The winning combination in this case is Real Time PCR applied to mitochondrial DNA. Real time PCR – also known as Quantitative PCR (qPCR) – is a method that simultaneously amplifies (classical PCR) and quantifies DNA. Mitochondria are organelles contained in cells, they have their own nucleic acid called mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). Unlike DNA within the cell nucleus, mtDNA is present with a high number of copies in each mitochondrion and therefore with a high presence in the cell, which makes it highly repetitive, effectively increasing the possibility of searching for “template” molecules to perform PCR even in the presence of degraded DNA. mtDNA therefore represents the most suitable molecular marker in order to identify fiber of animal origin since it is identifiable even after various product transformation processes.

Once the mtDNA is extracted from the sample, small fragments are amplified with the system just described, in order to detect the main animal species that may be present in the finished products.

Vismederi Textyle has become reference Center for the international association PETA “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” for the controls on the products of hundreds of member companies around the world, in order to guarantee their conformity to maintain the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo. https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/peta-approved-vegan-logo/frequently-asked-questions/