SPONSORED CONTENT - As one of the founding members of the OEKO-TEX® Association, testing service provider Hohenstein has been at the forefront of harmful substance safety for more than three decades. The newest certification OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON offers verification from farm to end-product. Products bearing this label consist of organically grown cotton. They are tested for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, and other harmful substances. The OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON certificate enables textile companies to facilitate quality assurance as well as communication towards stakeholders and consumers alike – and set themselves apart from the competition.  

How it works
To ensure clear consumer communication, OEKO-TEX® has created two labels: ORGANIC COTTON certifies raw, intermediate and end products made of 100% organic cotton, whereas ORGANIC COTTON Blended certified articles must be made of at least 70% organic cotton. While other fibres can be included, conventional cotton is strictly prohibited. “Sustainability has become a business imperative”, says Merel Swart, Senior Business Development Manager OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON at Hohenstein. “In the face of recent industry scandals, trust and transparency are essential. The OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON certification provides the assurance companies need to navigate this complex landscape.”

Be on the safe side
The OEKO-TEX® quantitative GMO testing method is the first method able to differentiate between intentional mixing versus minor contamination (e.g. from fibre fly) with conventional cotton. For ORGANIC COTTON,  OEKO-TEX® has set a limit of <5% GMOs. Building upon a positive GMO screening, Hohenstein is one of the first testing laboratories in the world to be able to identify specific cotton lines with known genetic modifications and quantifying their exact proportions in raw cotton samples. This is a clear advantage for manufacturers, brands and retailers in terms of supply chain transparency and fraud management.  

Discover OEKO-TEX® certified suppliers
OEKO-TEX® offers the Buying Guide, which is a free online directory, designed to connect businesses with products and services certified by OEKO-TEX®. Companies seeking reliable suppliers of certified materials or finished products can utilise the Buying Guide to connect with partners throughout the supply chain. This helps businesses source materials that meet their OEKO-TEX® certification goals.  
How to get OEKO-TEX®  

ORGANIC COTTON certified
Companies can apply for the OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON certification through the application form available on the Hohenstein website. Hohenstein conducts a thorough evaluation of the applicant’s entire supply chain, including a review of transaction certificates, to verify compliance with the standard. Following this assessment, an OEKO-TEX® auditor conducts an on-site visit to assess the company’s operations firsthand and collect samples. The OEKO-TEX® Institute then creates a testing plan and tests the samples in their labs. Once all certification criteria are met, OEKO-TEX® issues a certificate valid for one year.

Learn more:
www.hohenstein.com
www.oeko-tex.com