The media outcry resulting from the product recall action by the toy producer, Mattel, and the discovery of harmful substances in babies' bibs from China, has once again sparked a debate about cheap goods from Asia, causing deep disquiet among consumers.
The fact is that responsible manufacturers in China do not inevitably supply poor quality goods if they consistently make quality a high priority and, for example, have their goods tested by recognised institutions.
For textiles, the Hohenstein Institutes offer a wide range of independent quality assessments and certification processes on which European importers have successfully relied for years when purchasing goods from countries such as China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey. These include, for example, certification under Oeko-Tex Standard 100, checking for compliance with legal requirements in the target markets and analysing other quality criteria such as the finish, fit or comfort characteristics.
All laboratory testing and certification procedures are carried out without exception at the headquarters of the Hohenstein Institutes in Bönnigheim, in order to ensure a consistent quality standard for customers. However, 16 agencies in 15 countries around the world also help ensure that expert support is available for interested companies actually in the production countries themselves.
Effective protection against possible harmful substances in textiles is provided by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 which the Hohenstein Institutes helped to develop 15 years ago – this is a voluntary test and certification system for textile fibres, yarns, fabrics and manufactured end products of all kinds.
marketing@alchempro.com
