The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 was introduce in
1992 to offer consummers the greatest possible assurance in terms of health and
to make companies in the textile industry more sensitive to the need for a
responsible approach to problematic substances.
Today, there is a reliable network of over
7,000 manufacturers worldwide at all
stages in the textile processing
chain who are permanently
committed to certification and thus play
an active part in constantly increasing the level of security in terms of the
safety of textiles.
Underwear and
nightwear are generally marked with the Oeko-Tex label on the packaging, a swing tag, label
etc. If this is not the
case, it is worth specifically asking for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 when making a purchase.
A
current list of manufacturers of daywear and nightwear can be obtained from the
German Oeko-Tex certification Centre. An overview of brand-name products with
Oeko-Tex certification can also be found at www.oeko-tex.com.
Confidence
in textiles worlwide:
Since 1992, the tests for harmful substances according to Oeko-Tex
Standard 100 have stood for total peace of mind when purchasing textiles.
The internationally
binding test catalogue is based on scientifically proven parameters and is updated annually in line with current developments in research and legislation.
For each certification process, tests are carried out
on the followin gat one
of the 14 authorised Oeko-Tex test institutes:
- Substances which
are prohibited by law, such as carcinogenic dyestuffs
- Substances which
are regulated by law, such as formaldehyde, softeners, heavy metals or pentachlorophenol
- Harmful substances
such as pesticides, allergy-inducing
dyestuffs or tin-organic
compounds
- Precautionary parameters such as colour
fastness and a skin-friendly pH value.
With over 53,000
certificates issued and millions of labelled goods available in almost all product
sectors, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is the world's most successful and best known test label of
its type.
Quality for our little
ones
Children's skin is particularly sensitive. That is why
we should be especially careful when choosing clothing and textiles for our
little ones. And that is also why the Oeko-Tex sets particularly high standards
for the safety of all products made for babies.
Oeko-Tex certificated rompers, hats, mittens and socks
are completely harmless for sensitive baby skin. Thay are made of soft,
comfortable materials and move flexibly as your child does. The blankets,
pillows, colourful bed-linen, towels and dressing-gowns are also hard-wearing
and easy to care for.
Because little children put everything in their mouths
and suck it, for baby articles the Oeko-Tex also provides, in addition to extensive
laboratory testing, a special simulated test to check the permanence of dyes
and prints in saliva. This means that no dyes will accidentally dissolve out of
the textile and enter the body.
Just as there is a legal ban on teething rings
containing particular soluble softeners, Oeko-Tex certification excludes such
substances (phtalates) from all other plastic components and items which will
come into close contact with babies bodies. There must also be no measurbale
amounts of formaldehyde in baby articles.
Discovering the
world in safety
The limit values and test criteria of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 are always based on the intended use of the
textile. In principle, the following applies: The more intensively a product comes into contact with the skin, the higher
the requirements which
must be met. Accordingly, the Oeko-Tex
Standard 100 identifies four product classes (PC)
- Products for babies and toddlers of three and under
(PCI)
- Products used close to the skin, which come into
contact with large areas of the skin (PC II),
e.g. underwear,
bedding and bed linen
- Products used away
from the skin, which only
come into contact with a
small area of the skin
(PC III), e.g. jackets and coats
-
Furnishing materials used for decorative purposes (PC IV),
e.g. table linen, curtains, textile wall and floor coverings or mattresses.
Like all textile products, clothing and textiles for
childre can only be certificated if all the components including accessories
(button, zips etc.) comply with the necessary test criteria. For baby articles
(PCI), the strictest standards in the whole Oeko-Tex testing programme
apply-and this includes, incidentally, soft toys, hand puppets and other toys
made from textiles.
The Oeko-Tex member institutes in the various countries will be pleased to help you with any further
questions on www.oeko-tex.com
Your Questions :
- What does Oeko-Tex Standard 100 offer
the consumer?
The
Oeko-Tex is the world's leading label for textiles screened for harmful
substances. Products awarded this mark have been optimised for human ecology
and tested and certificated by internationaly recognised textile institutes.
Textiles bearing this label are good for your well-being.
-
How can you recognise a genuine Oeko-Tex
label?
Make
sure that the test number is quoted and the test institute is named. The test
number can be used to trace the particular certification process which was
carried out. The Oeko-Tex label is a registered trademark, protected in
international law by the Madrid Agreement.
- What is the International Oeko-Tex
Association?
An association of 15
well-known textile, testing and research institutes in Europe
and Japan. There are branches and representatives in more than 30 countries. The member institutes
of the Oeko-Tex
Association are jointly responsible for the
continuous development of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Technical expertise about textile
production and scientific findings from chemistry. medicine
and related areas of research all feed into
the process.
-
What is the international role of the Oeko-Tex label?
Because of the differences that exist with regard to legal requirements and safety concepts in different
countries, and the way work is
spread internationally in the textile chain, a common safety standard for harmful substances is
needed.
The requirements in the extensive list of criteria rnake the companies involved worldwide more sensitive to problematic
harmful substances.
-
What requirements does the Oeko-Tex list of criteria have to meet?
The list of criteria contains over
100 test parameters to assure that the
textiles are not harmful to health. It is mandatory for all authorised Oeko-Tex test institutes.
The criteria and
limit values are often ahead of the field, i.e. they include not only legally banned
or controlled substances but also other
substances that have been
scientifically assessed as harmful to
health. There are also parameters which
have a preventative role.
-
What are the test criteria for the Oeko-Text Standard 100?
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 excludes harmful
substances or limits their use.
The
following parameters form part of the Oeko-Tex list of criteria:
Specifically banned
AZO dyes
Carcinogenic and
allergy-inducing dyes
Formaldehyde
Pesticides
Chlorinated phenols
Chloro-organic benzenes and toluenes
Extractable heavy
metals
Colourfastness
pH value
Phthalates in baby articles
Organotin compounds
(TBT and DBT)
Emission of volatile
components
Biologically active
products and flame-retardant products
are regulated separately.
- What
is the significance of the four product classes under the Oeko-Tex Standard
100?
When assigning products to one of the four product
groups, a distinction is made according to the purpose of the textile, the
greater the area of skin contact, the stricter the requirements. Under the Oeko-Tex lable, babies are thought to need particular
protection. In Product class I, all baby
articles are subject to the strictest
criteria on account of the sensitivity of
babies skin. Any fînishes containing formaldehyde are prohibited. The
requirement for saliva-resistance rneans that dyes
and prints should not bleed or stain when babies suck on them.
- When
can a finished article be awarded the Oeko-Tex label?
Only if all components of the article have been tested and certificated according to the requirements of the list
of criteria for the same product
class. This includes outer fabric, padding, fillings and linings as well as accessories such as zips,
buttons, straps, lace trim,
sewing thread, foam filling etc.
- Why do more than
7000 companies worldwide support the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ?
Companies in the
textile and clothing industry and the associated
supply sector have an interest in producing
fashionable, functional and easy-care textiles which at the same time are also optimised for human ecology. Their ongoing commitment
to the
Oeko-Tex certification system has set
exemplary safety standards for consumers in the textile
chain.
