'Confidence in Textiles' provides reliable guide for textile buyers
30 Aug '07
3 min read
The product recall action by the toy manufacturer Mattel and the discovery of a carcinogenic substance in babies' bibs from China have caused deep disquiet among consumers. The only way to avoid further safety defects and discoveries of harmful substances is for importers and their suppliers to behave responsibly and for everyone to have a clear awareness of product quality.
For clothing and domestic textiles, for example, a voluntary testing and certification system has been in existence for nearly 15 years in the form of the product label “Confidence in Textiles – textiles tested for harmful substances in accordance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100“, a system in which over 7500 companies from over 80 countries all around the world take part.
The latest trends in certification show that in China already about 900 textile and clothing producers have their articles certificated under Oeko-Tex Standard 100, thereby being proactive in excluding any problems due to possible harmful substances. The testing and certification of textile products is carried out exclusively by 14 independent test institutes belonging to the International Oeko-Tex Association and on the basis of a globally binding list of criteria.
This means that the “Confidence in Textiles” label provides a reliable guide for textile buyers, regardless of where the products were manufactured or imported from. The test criteria for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 include legally banned and regulated substances, plus other chemicals known to be harmful to health, such as allergenic dyes, and parameters enabling people to take health precautions (e.g. a skin-friendly pH value).
marketing@alchempro.com
