industry, and compensating for regionally different evaluation standards for the risk potential of harmful substances. Use of the Oeko-Tex certificate documents compliance with human-ecological requirements to subsequent production levels and consumers. The requirements for obtaining the certificate are updated at least once a year based on new scientific information. Prerequisites Textile products can only be certified according to the Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex if all components comply with the required criteria – for an item of clothing, in addition to the outer fabric, this might include threads, linings, prints as well as non-textile accessories such as buttons, zip fasteners, rivets or any other accessory parts. Extent and requirements of Oeko-Tex testing for harmful substances depend on the intended use of a textile product. There are four product classes: Product class I – Items for babies and infants (up to 36 months of age) Product class II – Items with direct prolonged or large-area skin contact Product class III – Textiles without or with little skin contact Product class IV – Furnishing materials for decorative purposes (curtains, table linen, carpets, etc.) Product class I requirements are more rigorous for most potentially harmful substances, and there is an additional test for saliva resistance. Laboratory tests Test criteria and limit values are globally binding and are updated and expanded each year. The current version of the Standard 100 is available at the official website. Test parameters include substances banned or regulated by law as well as yet unregulated substances that are known to be problematic. Textile products are tested for their content of several hundred individual substances from 17 groups of chemicals. The standard takes into account: Important legal regulations (e.g. banned Azo dyes, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, nickel) Requirements of Annexes XVII and XIV of the European Chemicals Regulation REACh and of the ECHA SVHC Candidate List that are assessed to be relevant for fabrics, textiles, garments or accessories by expert groups of the Oeko-Tex Association US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) requirements regarding lead Numerous other environmentally relevant substance classes Numerous substances known to be harmful to health or environmentally relevant but not yet subject to any regulation Furthermore, all tested items must have a skin-friendly pH value and good color fastness. They are tested for emissions of volatile chemicals and are subjected to an olfactory test. Once issued, the Oeko-Tex certificate is valid for one year. Prevalence and awareness The