USA-2000 LABELING STANDARD 

(January 2009)

The American Down & Feather Council (ADFC) supports the standards developed by ABFLO and first enacted as regulation by the State of California. Documents referenced include:

1. ASTM D-4522: Performance Specifications for Down and Feather Fillings for Textile Products.                                                              1.1: “Requirements for fillings for industry products such as wearing apparel, sleeping bags, and comforters.”
2. January 1999 FTC Bulletin: "Advertising and Labeling of Feather and Down Products."
3. ABFLO 1999(& Successive Years) Guidelines: "Labeling of Down and Feather Products." 
4. IDFB Test Regulations & Technical Manual: IDFB is the International Down & Feather Bureau.
5. April 16, 2000, California Regulation on Down and Feather Products.

Down Products Any product with at least 75% down cluster may be labeled "DOWN." The minimum down cluster % must be listed.

Down/Feather Blends The minimum down cluster content of blended products must be labeled. No tolerance is allowed.

Feather Products The label "WATERFOWL FEATHERS" may be used if the product has at least 80% waterfowl feathers.

Labeling of Other Components If other components exceed the maximums in the chart below, the component % must be labeled.

Effective Date Products manufactured after September 1, 2000, must use the new label standards.

Testing Methods The testing methods of IDFB are the official testing methods of the ASTM, IABFLO and ADFC.

Labeling Format on Law Tag Label See IABFLO documents and/or ,website for correct labeling formats.

Cleanliness Requirement Oxygen of 10 or less and Turbidity of 300mm or greater.

Requirement for Hypoallergenic or Super-Clean Claims Oxygen of 4.8 or less and Turbidity of 500mm or greater.

Fill Power Claims After proper conditioning, the fill power of finished products should be ± 5% of claim. Steam Conditioning is the official IDFB method.

Specie (GOOSE or DUCK) Products can be labeled by specie if 90% of the plumage is of that species.

Fabric Claims See FTC guide: "Threading Your Way Though the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts."

Other Product Claims FTC law requires that advertising or labeling claims must have proof to back up both express/explicit and implied claims. The ADFC reviews product claims as part of the ADFC compliance program.