New OEKO-TEX® test criteria

At the start of the year, the OEKO-TEX® Association has, as usual, updated the valid test criteria and limit values for product certification in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. A number of new regulations come into force on April 1, 2014, for all certifications, following a three-month transition period, including:

The specifications for perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) will become much stricter.

Four longer-chained, perfluorinated compounds will also be included in the criteria catalogue with the same limit values as PFOA.

All the perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) regulated by OEKO-TEX® will in future be listed in a separate substance category, and not, as previously, in the section “Other Chemical Residues”.

Among the regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), seven substances have additionally been given a specific individual limit value. The total limit value in the respective product classes for all 24 PAHs will stay the same.

The existing exemption in OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for a few selected products for solvent residues will be extended for 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). The exemption now also applies for spun-dyed fibers that are used specifically in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

For a complete list of the new OEKO-TEX test criteria, please visit the OEKO-TEX website.