Did you know?

• The US National Institutes of Health and the Centres for Disease Control have both recently highlighted the sharp rise in incidence of allergies and asthma in America.
• Nearly 70% of USA households are affected by asthma & allergies

There are many legal pitfalls when testing textiles for allergy claims and confusing terms like ‘hypo-allergenic’ and ‘dust mite proof’ can make it harder.
This industry report will assist you in deciding which path to take as a textile manufacturer and will save you time and money in product development.

This is a common area of confusion. The phrase ‘dust mite proof’ is often used but is more appropriate to a filling. It often is meant to refer to the fact that dust mites do not breed and multiply in the environment often due the filling having a particular treatment. It is important to note that when a textile is claiming that it is an allergen barrier, it is claiming to block allergen particles such as Fel d 1 particles (i.e. cat allergen) which are less than 10µm in diameter and the mite faecal pellets, Der p 1 which ranges between 10µm and 40µm.  The dust mite itself has a size of 250µm to 300µm.  The best way to assess allergen barrier is using tests such as the Allergen Barrier Test with Airflow and Simulated Use Allergen Barrier Test. The degree of anti-dust mite activity of treated textiles in a controlled environment can be assessed on a small scale using the AAATC 194-2008 test method and is commonly referred to as the ‘heat escape’ method. Large climate controlled chamber models or field tests may give more meaningful data. While fulfilling this test make sure the textile still has good comfort physiology. The comfort of a fabric can be assessed by a number of parameter such as Air Permeability (ISO 9237) and Water Vapour Resistance (ISO 11092).

Allergy Standards Limited operate the asthma & allergy friendly^TM Certification Program in America, Canada, Ireland and the UK. These Programs are operated in partnership with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the Asthma Society of Canada, the Asthma Society of Ireland and Asthma UK respectively. It is designed to act as a signpost for consumers to direct them towards products that have been scientifically tested to prove that they are more suitable for those suffering from asthma and allergies. The product areas that are selected for testing are those that have the potential to make a real impact on the lives of these people.  Testing standards are then written to determine the products' performance in key areas.

In the last 6 months, we are proud to announce that we have written, and received approval for, 3 new test standards and 2 Addenda to existing standards.

ASP:10:03/101 - Certification of Portable Air Conditioners - tests air conditioners based on their ability to control thermal comfort as well as allergen removal capability and particulate control.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released a report on Health Statistics for those with asthma; it makes for quite stark reading.

The Pro-Safe Report was released earlier this year and makes for very interesting reading. It was a joint market surveillance action on toys, co-ordinated by the Product Safety Enforcement Forum of Europe. The aim of the action was to investigate the safety of toys on the market that have been tested and certified as being EN-71 compliant (Part 1 and 3). Conformance to EN-71 was judged on the basis of testing of small parts and magnets, as well as of trace heavy metals.

Earlier this year Allergy Standards Limited were invited to support Trinity College Dublin's application for a PRTLI (Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions) grant in order to fund the development of the Trinity Biomedical Research Institute. Dr. John McKeon (CEO) and I were delighted to show ASL's support by attending the Higher Education Authority visit to Trinity College Dublin.

Looking back at the year so far, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Conference has been the stand out event so far. It was held in London in June and over 8,000 delegates attended, ranging from 109 different countries. There were many oral and poster presentations of interest to ASL, particularly in the area of environmental exposure to allergen, including dust mites and pollen.

Hay fever is an allergy to pollen or spores and it can cause the inside of your nose to become inflamed as well as affecting the sinuses, throat and eyes. For those with hay fever, the condition can range from mildly irritating to debilitating in its effects. Hay fever normally occurs in spring and summer when there is more pollen in the air. However allergy season has been increasing of late and this further exacerbates the problems that hay fever sufferers face.

The message from the asthma & allergy friendly^TM Program is that products that are certified are more suitable for those suffering from asthma and allergies. These products are recommended to be used in a ‘home allergen reduction plan'. But just what is a ‘home allergen reduction plan' and is it really effective?

This month I learnt some interesting things, not least that fabrics are now being used on roads nowadays. It's true:  A thin layer of polypropylene is applied to the road's surface to improve its cohesiveness. The source of this and other fascinating facts was the Textile Information Course, provided by the Textile Institute, which is based in Manchester and was established in 1925. The Institute has members in over 80 countries and are experts in the areas of textiles, clothing and footwear and this is the first Information Course they have run in several years.

It is Toy Trade Fair season again and at ASL this is a busy time of the year. Through our certification of a wide range of stuffed toys as asthma & allergy friendly^TM, attendance at these events is of great importance. For a stuffed toy to pass our Certification criteria there are several principles that they need to adhere to (see below). Due to the nature of testing principles where quality of construction and durability are concerned, only toys of the highest quality will be capable of passing testing.