Oritain Business, Method & Advantage
Protecting brand integrity, empowering compliance, and strengthening supply chains through precise forensic science.
Founded 2008 | 40+ years of scientific expertise |
1,800+ clients | 200+ global team members |
Offices in London, Washington DC, Singapore, New Zealand
Who we work with
Oritain's origin verification programs are trusted by more than 1,800 of the world's leading retailers, brands, manufacturers, and suppliers.
This includes Lacoste, NEXT, Welspun, Supima, Yunus, Silver Fern Farms, Cranswick, and Joma Wool.
We work across industries including cotton, leather, timber, red meat, coffee, dairy, and more. Our global database is unsurpassed, covering major producing regions across every commodity we serve and full coverage of all cotton-producing regions.
From field to shelf, our science verifies the claims that matter most.
The Oritain approach:
Why nature is better
Most traceability solutions rely on what people record – digital records, certificates, blockchain entries, or physical markers applied at source. These approaches are only as reliable as the humans who enter the data or apply the tag.
Oritain is different. We don't add anything to your product. We harness what nature has already put there.
Every product grown, reared, or harvested absorbs a unique combination of isotopes and trace elements from its environment – its soil, its water, its climate. This combination is nature's own Origin Fingerprint, specific to its origin, and virtually impossible to replicate or fake.
We analyze this Origin Fingerprint and evaluate it against our proprietary global database – verifying with scientific accuracy whether the origin claim of a product or raw material is truly genuine.
Oritain vs other traceability tools
Not all traceability tools are the same.
Forensic origin verification analyzes the product itself using established, reliable techniques to provide robust evidence that is admissible in court.
Oritain Forensic Origin Verification |
Embedded Markers DNA / Pigment tagging |
Digital Records Blockchain / Chain of custody |
Digital Mapping Supply chain mapping |
Traditional Traceability Documentation / Spreadsheets |
|
What is verified? |
The product itself |
The tag applied to the product |
The data entered about the product |
Information recorded about the product |
Paper logs and invoices related to the product |
Can it be falsified? |
No – nature cannot be faked |
Yes – marker can be removed or misapplied |
Yes – data can be tampered with or hacked |
Yes – information can be manipulated |
Yes – paperwork can be falsified |
Works on ‘live’ samples? |
Yes – test any sample at any time |
No – must be tagged before processing |
No – records must be created upfront |
No – records must be created upfront |
No – paperwork must be completed upfront |
Court admissible? |
Yes – accepted by courts and CBP |
No – not recognized by CBP |
No – not recognized by CBP |
No – not recognized by CBP |
No – not recognized by CBP |
Scientific foundation |
40+ years of forensic origin verification science |
Varies by provider |
Not science-based |
Not science-based |
Not science-based |
Legally-recognized regulatory compliance
The precision of Oritain's analysis is recognized by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of Homeland Security, and has been accepted as evidence in courts of law around the world.
Our isotopic methodology has been adopted by CBP as part of the agency’s enforcement tools.
For brands navigating UFLPA, EUDR, and broader forced labor and deforestation regulations, this legal standing is not just reassuring – it is essential.
Global lab network
Oritain’s scientific network spans the globe, with ISO 17025-accredited laboratories – the international gold standard for testing competence – operating across New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and beyond.
In 2025, we expanded this network through strategic acquisitions of leading European laboratories, increasing our analytical capabilities and accelerating access to verification programs for clients worldwide.
Membership & community
The Oritain membership program launched in 2025, bringing together responsible brands, manufacturers, and suppliers committed to verified transparency.
Members receive a tailored verification program with access to exclusive benefits and opportunities, and earn visible recognition through Oritain's Bronze, Silver, and Gold membership badges – a trusted mark of leadership in responsible sourcing.
Our leadership
The Oritain leadership team is led by CEO Alyn Franklin and includes respected industry leaders with considerable commercial experience.
Alyn Franklin
CEO
Alyn joined Oritain as Chief Executive Officer in 2024, based in London. He brings a wealth of experience in business leadership, most recently as CEO of Alcumus from 2017 to 2024, where he led the management team in defining the company’s strategy, with a strong focus on helping organizations create a safer, more sustainable world.
Alyn has extensive experience in the Risk Management and Professional Services sectors, including Chief Financial Officer at Santia and senior management roles at Connaught PLC, Wincanton, Coors Brewers, and Arthur Andersen. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Corporate Treasurer.
Prof. Russell Frew
Co-founder & Chief Scientist
Russell is an analytical chemist who started his career applying trace metal and stable isotope analyses to trace ocean processes. As a Professor at the University of Otago, Russell established the Forensic Analytical Science Major and provided forensic evidence to the courts.
Russell founded Isotrace in 2003 and then co-founded Oritain in 2008. From 2012 to 2016 he was seconded to the IAEA/ FAO to establish a food traceability program. Russell retired from his academic position in 2021 and has since been full-time with Oritain as Chief Scientist.
Rt Hon Sir John Key
Board Chairman
Rt Hon Sir John Key was New Zealand's 38th Prime Minister, guiding the country through the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, strengthening the economy and setting the country up for success.
A veteran of Merrill Lynch, he is known as a smart risk-taker and understands the fine balance between success and failure that growth-stage companies must strike.
Our origin story
Oritain's story begins at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand – one of the world's leading centers for isotope and provenance science.
Professor Russell Frew and a small group of dedicated scientists have spent years studying the natural chemical signatures in a variety of products that reflected the local environmental conditions of where they were grown or reared.
Inspired by the potential of blending science and innovation to help protect the planet’s natural resources, they established a new company.
In 2008, that inspiration became Oritain. What started as a university endeavor is now a global leader, trusted by more than 1,800 businesses across six continents to verify the origin of their products and raw materials.
Awards & recognition
Oritain's approach has been independently recognized by a wide range of leading industry and research bodies.
2025: Business Intelligence Awards – Sustainability Service of the Year 2025 winner
2025: Greater Good Awards – Forensic Science for Environmental Protection winner
2025: Drapers Awards – Sustainability Tech Innovator of the Year finalist
2025: Just Food Awards – Innovation-Forensic Traceability winner; Environmental-Sustainable Sourcing winner
2025: edie Awards – SME of the Year 2025 shortlist
2025: Deloitte Fast 50 Awards NZ – Fastest Growing Business finalist; Master of Growth finalist
2025: NZ International Business Awards – Best Large Business finalist
2024: Just Style Excellence Awards – Innovation Winner; Environmental Winner
2022: Business South – Grand Supreme Business Excellence Winner; Excellence in Science and Technology Winner
2022: AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation awards – Supreme Winner; Bilateral Services Award with USA Winner
2018: Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT) – Best New Product; Service Award Winner
2017: NZ Biotechnology of the Year award winner
Oritain was featured as a market-leading innovator in Verdantix's 2024 independent analysis of 21 sustainable traceability vendors.
All the laboratories in our global lab network have ISO17025 accreditation for the standard of their analytical work.
Talk to us
Want to learn more about how Oritain can help your business?
Contact us to speak with our team.