Greensboro, NC— February 25, 2009— Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification, the international standard for safe textile products, gives manufacturers, retailers, and consumers confidence that their textile products are safe for human use.  The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification ensures that textile products are tested for harmful levels of more than 100 potentially dangerous substances that can adversely affect human health. The certification also provides third-party validation that textiles comply with the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regulating products for children.

“In today’s uncertain times, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 can help eliminate the unfortunate and costly surprises that many retailers and manufacturers have experienced,” says Dr. Manfred Wentz, US director of Oeko-Tex. “By insisting upon Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification, manufacturers and retailers can be confident that their global supply chain is delivering high quality products that are safe for human use and compliant with new government requirements.”

The International Oeko-Tex Association operates in more than 40 countries, providing its customers with a worldwide quality control network at a time when travel budgets and human resources may be limited.  Plus, Oeko-Tex’s modular approach to certifying each textile supply chain component gives companies credit for using fibers, yarns, fabrics, threads, inks, findings and other product components that are already Oeko-Tex certified. “When manufacturers and retailers ask their suppliers, many may find that their textile product components are already Oeko-Tex certified,” says Wentz. “Then the final certification process is even simpler, quicker, and less expensive.”

“Manufacturers and retailers want to remove risk from the equation,” Wentz continues. “The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification is a cost-effective, easy-to-use tool that delivers peace of mind for companies who make textile products and—ultimately— for the consumers who use them.” 

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification can be obtained for all types of textile products including apparel and textile products for homes, offices, medical facilities, and vehicles. Certificates are granted in four product classes depending on the product’s intended end use. Manufacturers and retailers can specify the most stringent Oeko-Tex Class I for children’s textile products through to Class IV for decorative textile products that will have minimal contact with human skin.