Oeko-tex standard
Encyclopedia
Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or Öko-Tex Standard 100 is an international testing and certification system for textiles, limiting the use of certain chemicals. It was developed in 1992.
The Oeko-Tex label is a recognized benchmark for the consumer and 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 pesticide
s, 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.
Allergy-inducing dyestuffs are particularly relevant to textiles. Textile dyes, which can be divided into several types (i.e. disperse, reactive, acid and direct) are the main causes of textile contact dermatitis
. There has been an increasing frequency of contact dermatitis to clothing, in part undoubtedly to the greater awareness of this condition. Although dyes in clothing may be allergenic, there is a difference between a patch test
, where the dye is placed directly on the skin, and a dyed textile where the dye will not transfer as easily to the skin; however, excess dye on a fabric may be readily available to the skin. As well as this, the prevalence of sensitization to dyes is quite high among the allergic population. A study in 2003 indicated that 12.3% of those patch tested were allergic to a dye and/or resin allergen; the highest incidence of sensitization from the dye group allergens was due to Disperse Blue 124, 106 and 85; these Disperse dyes have also been shown to induce purpuric contact dermatitis. Although the presence of allergenic or harmful dyes is of obvious relevance to clothing, it also has relevance to children's stuffed toys where the fabric may often be in direct contact with the skin. In the EU some steps have been taken towards testing for these types of dyes in toys, embodied in EN71-9, http://www.cen.eu/esearch/CatWeb.aspx?id=816556 although at present this is a voluntary standard, unlike parts 1–3 of the same standard.
The use of flame retardant
and biocidic
finishes is also 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.
Institutes
The following institutes currently belong to the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology (Oeko-Tex®):
ÖTI
- Institut für Ökologie, Technik und Innovation GmbH
CENTEXBEL
TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd
Hohenstein Textile Testing Institute
DTI Tekstil, Teknologisk Institut
AITEX, Instituto Tecnológico Textil
IFTH, Institut Français du Textile et de l’Habillement
CLOTEFI S.A / ETAKEI
INNOVATEXT
CENTROCOT, Centro Tessile Cotoniero e Abbigliamento S.p.A.
NISSENKEN, Japan Dyer’s Inspection Institute Foundation
Instytut Wlókiennictwa
CITEVE, Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal
SWEREA IVF AB
Shirley Technologies Ltd.
VUTCH-Chemitex spol. s r.o.
CSIR National Fibre Textile and Clothing Centre
Oeko-tex® Zertifizierungsstelle GmbH
ASQUAL, Association pour la Promotion de l’Assurance Qualité dans la Filère Textile-Habilement
Öko-Tex® Association, Secretariado
The greater the contact with the skin, the more stringent the requirements.
Responsibility
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; 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 worldwide, 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 a recognized benchmark for the consumer and also serves as an additional quality assurance
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, or QA for short, is the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service or facility to maximize the probability that minimum standards of quality are being attained by the production process...
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
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
-value, formaldehyde content, the presence of pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s, 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.
Allergy-inducing dyestuffs are particularly relevant to textiles. Textile dyes, which can be divided into several types (i.e. disperse, reactive, acid and direct) are the main causes of textile contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or irritants . Phototoxic dermatitis occurs when the allergen or irritant is activated by sunlight....
. There has been an increasing frequency of contact dermatitis to clothing, in part undoubtedly to the greater awareness of this condition. Although dyes in clothing may be allergenic, there is a difference between a patch test
Patch test
Patch test may refer to*Patch test *Patch test...
, where the dye is placed directly on the skin, and a dyed textile where the dye will not transfer as easily to the skin; however, excess dye on a fabric may be readily available to the skin. As well as this, the prevalence of sensitization to dyes is quite high among the allergic population. A study in 2003 indicated that 12.3% of those patch tested were allergic to a dye and/or resin allergen; the highest incidence of sensitization from the dye group allergens was due to Disperse Blue 124, 106 and 85; these Disperse dyes have also been shown to induce purpuric contact dermatitis. Although the presence of allergenic or harmful dyes is of obvious relevance to clothing, it also has relevance to children's stuffed toys where the fabric may often be in direct contact with the skin. In the EU some steps have been taken towards testing for these types of dyes in toys, embodied in EN71-9, http://www.cen.eu/esearch/CatWeb.aspx?id=816556 although at present this is a voluntary standard, unlike parts 1–3 of the same standard.
The use of flame retardant
Flame retardant
Flame retardants are chemicals used in thermoplastics, thermosets, textiles and coatings that inhibit or resist the spread of fire. These can be separated into several different classes of chemicals:...
and biocidic
Biocide
A biocide is a chemical substance or microorganism which can deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. Biocides are commonly used in medicine, agriculture, forestry, and industry...
finishes is also 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.
Institutes
The following institutes currently belong to the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology (Oeko-Tex®):
ÖTI
OTI
As a three-letter acronym, OTI may refer to:* Office of Transition Initiatives, an office of United States Agency for International Development founded in 1994...
- Institut für Ökologie, Technik und Innovation GmbH
CENTEXBEL
TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd
Hohenstein Textile Testing Institute
DTI Tekstil, Teknologisk Institut
AITEX, Instituto Tecnológico Textil
IFTH, Institut Français du Textile et de l’Habillement
CLOTEFI S.A / ETAKEI
INNOVATEXT
CENTROCOT, Centro Tessile Cotoniero e Abbigliamento S.p.A.
NISSENKEN, Japan Dyer’s Inspection Institute Foundation
Instytut Wlókiennictwa
CITEVE, Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal
SWEREA IVF AB
Shirley Technologies Ltd.
VUTCH-Chemitex spol. s r.o.
CSIR National Fibre Textile and Clothing Centre
Oeko-tex® Zertifizierungsstelle GmbH
ASQUAL, Association pour la Promotion de l’Assurance Qualité dans la Filère Textile-Habilement
Öko-Tex® Association, Secretariado
Product classes
The test costs depend on which of the four Oeko-Tex product classes the product falls under- I = baby products (up to age three - 36 months)
- II = products having skin contact (blouses, shirts, underwear)
- III = products having no skin contact (coats, lined cloths)
- IV = furnishings (table wear, funiture coverings, curtains, textile flooring, mattresses)
The greater the contact with the skin, the more stringent the requirements.