Oeko-Tex reports its certification complies with New York State Ban on TRIS in children's products

Kids Today Staff -- Kids Today, 9/6/2011 12:52:15 PM

Greensboro, NC - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed into law new legislation that will ban the sale of children's products that are treated with the flame retardant chemical, tris (2,3,-dibromopropyl) phosphate, commonly known as TRIS. The suspected carcinogen was banned nationally in children's clothing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) in 1977. The New York law will extend the children's clothing ban to all children's products sold in the state including items such as toys, strollers, crib mattresses, nursing pillows, and car seats. The ban will apply to any products sold after December 1, 2013.

 Oeko-Tex reports that textile products certified under its Oeko-Tex Standard 100 are already in compliance with the 2013 New York ban on TRIS. Because TRIS has been banned in Europe for many years, the chemical is excluded from Oeko-Tex's global list of acceptable active chemical products so only textile products that are TRIS-free can receive certification. This is true not only for Oeko-Tex® Class I product certification for textiles intended for use by babies and toddlers but also for Classes II-IV certifications for all other textile products.

"New York State is taking an important stance on protecting our children from potentially harmful substances," said Dr. Sam Moore, who represents Oeko-Tex in North America. "Manufacturers and retailers of Oeko-Tex certified children's textiles can be assured that their products already exceed New York's safety measures as well as similar legislative actions expected from other states."

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification indicates that textile products have been tested and are free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances that are potentially dangerous to human health such as heavy metals, carcinogens, and pesticides.