Identification of Pima cotton
Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense) is a generic term for extra long staple cotton. Its fibers are regarded as very high quality because they are extremely long and fine.
Labels such as Supima, Egyptian Cotton or super-fine Pima Cotton Quality point out this uniqueness.
Pima accounts for less than 10% of the global cotton production. Large price differences and the limited availability considerably increase the likelihood of adulteration which makes controls necessary.
G. barbadense and G. hirsutum are extremely closely related. Nevertheless sufficient genetic differences can be found which allow an unambiguous identification.
Impetus Bioscience has developed reliable methods to identify Pima even in complex fiber mixtures.
Even exact quantitative statements, i.e. the percentages of different cotton species are possible in raw and slightly processed fiber blends.
