A few days ago, the Guangdong Provincial Market Supervision Bureau conducted a sampling inspection of clothing sold on the market. The samples came from manufacturing companies in 14 provinces and cities, as well as well-known brands such as Yihaodian, JD.com, Mengbazaar, Suning, Tmall, and Vipshop. Electronic business platform. The inspection results found that the products of 487 companies were found to be substandard. Unqualified items include: formaldehyde content, decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes, pH value, color fastness to water, color fastness to acid perspiration, color fastness to alkali perspiration, color fastness to dry/wet rubbing, etc., most of which The chemical substances detected are all substances restricted by the OEKO-TEX® International Textile and Leather Ecological Research and Testing Association (hereinafter referred to as the OEKO-TEX® Association).
What do these testing items specifically include?
Formaldehyde: Anti-wrinkle agents, color-fixing agents, or adhesives for pigment printing used in the production process of textiles will leave formaldehyde residues if not treated completely. Once absorbed into the body through the skin and respiratory tract, it can cause great damage to the nervous system and skin, and long-term exposure may even cause cancer. On October 27, 2017, formaldehyde was included in the list of carcinogens released by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. According to the requirements of the OEKO-TEX® Association, free and releasable formaldehyde is not allowed in products suitable for infants 3 years old and under; the formaldehyde content limit in products that come into direct contact with the skin is 75mg/kg.
Decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes: what we often call “banned azo dyes”. Azo dyes have a wide chromatographic range and good shade, and are widely used in dyeing and printing. In the human wearing environment, banned azo dyes will produce carcinogenic aromatic amines if they are cracked and reduced. According to GB/T17592-2011 “Standard for Determination of Banned Azo Dyes in Textiles” and the regulations of the OEKO-TEX® Association, the content of decomposable aromatic amine dyes cannot exceed 20mg/kg.
PH value: The pH value of normal human skin surface is about 5.0~7.0. If the pH value of textiles does not meet the requirements, During use, the balance of the skin surface will be destroyed, causing skin problems; according to the requirements of the OEKO-TEX® Association, the pH of textiles should be controlled at 4.0-7.5.
Color fastness: including water fastness, acid and alkali sweat color fastness, dry rubbing color fastness , color fastness to saliva and sweat. If the color fastness of textiles is unqualified, in addition to causing decolorization and dyeing problems during use, if the shed dye is absorbed by the human body, the harmful substances in it will also cause harm to the human body.
How should textile companies ensure and control product quality?
As domestic and international markets have increasingly stringent requirements for textile safety, how to ensure product quality is a difficult problem faced by textile companies. OEKO-TEX® International Textile and Leather Ecology Research and Testing Association is the world’s most authoritative and influential textile ecology research institution. Since its establishment in 1992, it has been committed to the testing, certification and research of various textile products. . As its official representative organization in China, TESTEX has issued more than 100,000 certificates and has rich experience in chemical analysis and testing of textiles. By obtaining STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification through TESTEX, companies can not only ensure the quality of their products, but also gain more benefits:
Detailed product test reports, including up to 20 Testing items for more than 300 major items and more than 300 minor items prove that the product has passed the detection of harmful substances;
The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® label can be used with authorization. This label can Hang it on the product in the form of a woven label, printed label or hangtag, or print it directly on the outer packaging of the product. Consumers can identify safe and secure products through the special sunflower logo;
Being included in the purchasing guide of the official website of OEKO-TEX®, increasing its influence. Global buyers can search from the list and contact you;
Have rich experience Auditors go to factories to provide professional advice and guide you on how to control your supplier chain to ensure the high quality and consistency of your products, thereby meeting the multi-faceted needs of brands and consumers.
How do consumers choose safe and secure textiles?
With the improvement of living standards, people are paying more and more attention to the health and safety of products. As a consumer, how can we purchase safe and secure clothing in the market? In fact, it is very simple. Certified products will have a label. When buying clothing, if you find a product with the sunflower logo hanging on it, you can buy it with confidence! (Tell you secretly, if the sunflower logo is hung on a product for infants and young children under 3 years old, it means that it must have passed the OEKO-TEX® unique color fastness test to saliva and sweat, so for children in the oral stage, It’s very safe for babies!
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