The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is a certificate that increases the consumer’s confidence, especially concerning the safety of the products they are about to purchase. This is one of the most recognized certificates in the textile industry worldwide.
In practice, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 guarantees that the certified textile products are safe for human health, in all stages of their production – from raw materials to the final product, including the fibers with which circular knitted fabrics are made.
In other words, Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 guarantees the quality and safety of everything within the textile industry's value chain.
This certificate is awarded by the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology, and, in this article, you will learn everything about the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100.
Introduced to the market in 1992, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is a global certificate awarded to companies within the textile industry, such as ITJV.
This certificate proves that these companies have passed all the quality tests prepared by an association of independent institutes. For this reason, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 guarantees that the products are safe for the consumer.
The tests required to obtain the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 include several parameters and variables, whose objective is to assess the levels of chemicals potentially harmful to human health and used throughout the production chain.
As it is global, one of the strengths of the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is that this assessment system is broader and more comprehensive than the ones used at the national or international level.
At the same time, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 tests are also much stricter, which include banned or regulated substances, but also any unregulated substances that may be recognized or suspected of being hazardous.
In this way, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 guarantees that the quality of the products is, therefore, global in nature and that the consumer is protected across the board, wherever they may be.
The tests for the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 are carried out by independent institutions and are updated at least once a year, based on newly published scientific information.
Consumers can purchase Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 by purchasing duly certified products. This means that any part produced by a certified brand will be properly identified with the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 label.
On the side of the textile industry, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 cannot be bought.
It can only be obtained by companies that volunteer to be certified, paying only the naturally associated costs. Certification then depends exclusively on the fulfillment of the required elements.
Even so, in case of any doubt, whether on the business side or on the consumer side, it is always possible to ask all questions directly to the association responsible for the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100.
According to the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 evaluation and testing system, all product components are tested across the entire textile industry value chain.
In other words, the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certifies the quality and safety of textile products, from raw materials and fibers used to the final product available in stores. All accessories are also included, such as the buttons on a coat, for example.
Fibers, circular knitted fabrics, and other types of consumer products that go beyond clothing, including bedding or household items and even toys, can be certified as long as they are considered part of the textile industry.
To be certified with the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, companies like ITJV begin by voluntarily applying for it.
They then need to pass rigorous tests that assess the safety of the materials or products, which also consider their potential negative effect on the environment.
The evaluation criteria are numerous and can be consulted on the association's official website, which also contains all the institutes responsible for carrying out the tests and all relevant information concerning the process.
In order to be properly certified, all components must comply with the proposed evaluation criteria that vary with their positioning along the value chain.
This means the indicators to be evaluated for obtaining the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 also depend on its previous or subsequent use and the more intensive its contact with the consumer's skin, the more rigorous the tests.
As companies themselves seek to become more agile and flexible, this certification ensures that the quality of the product is maintained. If, for the consumer, this certificate is a guarantee of safety, for companies its added value is directly associated with the reduced weight of quality control and assurance.
For effective quality control, specialized teams capable of designing and carrying out chemically complex tests are necessary, complemented by indispensable attention to the legal situation of the most varied chemical compounds.
In this way, certification responds to both sides of the textile industry, guaranteeing quality and safety for all involved.
Products certified by Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 do not contain any type of harmful substances, are environmentally friendly, and comply with current legal legislation as well as the latest scientific data.
However, this just one of many certificates obtainable in the industry.
In the textile industry, there are some certificates that guarantee the quality of our products, as well as their social or environmental responsibility. In addition to the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, ITJV is certified with:
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