Oeko-tex standard

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The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 was developed in 1992 and is a universally recognized testing and certification system which reliably informs the consumer that textile products bearing this label are free from concentrations of harmful substances which could pose a risk to his health without having to compromise on functionality, care, properties or style.

Responsibility for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is shared between the 17 test institutes which make up the International Oeko-Tex Association, which has branch offices in more than 40 countries worldwide. The criteria catalogue which forms the basis for the tests for harmful substances is based on the latest scientific findings and is continually updated, ensuring that the requirements for the human ecological safety of the textiles tested are more far-reaching every year. The test criteria and the related test methods are standardized on an international level and are widely included as guidance in terms and conditions of purchase and delivery right through to the retail sector. With a total of over 51,000 certificates issued for millions of different individual products, and over 6,500 companies involved world-wide, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 has become the best known and most successful label for textiles tested for harmful substances.

The Oeko-Tex label is not only a recognised benchmark for the consumer – it also serves as an additional quality assurance tool for the manufacturer. The concept has become established as a safety standard throughout the textile manufacturing chain and enables checks to be made for any harmful substances at each stage in the production process. The test samples are tested by the independent Oeko-Tex institutes for their pH-value, formaldehyde content, the presence of pesticides, extract-able heavy metals, chlorinated organic carriers and preservatives such as pentachlorophenol and tetrachlorophenol. The tests also include checks for any MAC amines in azo dyestuffs and allergy-inducing dyestuffs. The use of flame-retardant and biocide finishes is prohibited in the clothing sector. The certificates issued are distributed or allocated in line with the international guidelines and specifications of the Oeko-Tex Test Association.

The test costs depend on which of the four Oeko-Tex product classes the product falls under

I = baby articles,

II = articles which come into contact with large areas of the skin, or to which the skin is exposed for long periods,

III = outerwear,

IV = furnishing fabrics,

the greater the contact with the skin, the more stringent the requirements.

If all components of a textile comply with the requirements of the Oeko-Tex criteria catalogue without exception, the textile manufacturer receives certification and is entitled to use the Oeko-Tex label to mark his products in the shops. The Oeko-Tex certificate is issued for a period of one year and can be extended subject to further successful testing. In order to ensure ongoing compliance with the test criteria, the authorised Oeko-Tex Institutes carry out control tests every year on a minimum of 15% of all certificates issued on Oeko-Tex products available in the shops. ^[1]