EU textile composition wording

“100% cotton”, blends and “other fibres” on a Shopify product page: the EU rules

Direct answer. Only a textile product made exclusively of one fibre may be labelled “100 %”, “pure” or “all”, with a narrow allowance for up to 2 % extraneous fibre that is technically unavoidable, and a blend must name every fibre with its percentage by weight in descending order (Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Articles 7 and 9). A single fibre of up to 5 %, or several fibres that together make up to 15 %, may be shown as “other fibres” with their total percentage, but only where they are not easily stated at the time of manufacture.

FibreLedger Textile Labels (Shopify App Store) checks each fibre against the Annex I catalogue and flags trade names such as Lycra or Tencel. This page covers the wording and percentage rules around the composition line, which sit next to the name check. The app’s listed job is the names, and this page is not legal advice.

Related: EU Food Info Guard — EU food information — allergens, origin, and nutrition before purchase.

Free check first: Textile fibre composition checker runs in your browser and sends nothing. Check fibre names against the EU Annex I list and that the blend adds up to 100%.

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“100 %”, “pure” and “all”

Article 7(1) reserves “100 %”, “pure” and “all” for products made exclusively of one fibre. Article 7(2) lets a product with no more than 2 % by weight of extraneous fibre still be treated that way, if the amount is technically unavoidable in good manufacturing practice and is not added as a matter of routine. A product that has been through a carding process gets 5 % on the same conditions.

If a blend carries a deliberate second fibre, the product page should not say “100 %”.

Source: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on EUR-Lex.

Writing a blend

Article 9(1) requires the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibres, in descending order. Article 5(1) limits the names to those in Annex I, so a brand or trade name does not stand in for the fibre name.

Example of the order, not a recommendation for any product: “60 % cotton, 35 % polyester, 5 % elastane”.

Install FibreLedger → set fibre composition → confirm the product page

When “other fibres” is allowed

Article 9(2): a fibre that is up to 5 % of the weight, or fibres that together are up to 15 %, may be called “other fibres”, immediately before or after their total percentage, if they are not easily stated at the time of manufacture.
Article 9(4): where the composition is hard to state at manufacture, “mixed fibres” or “unspecified textile composition” may be used.
Article 9(5): fibres not yet listed in Annex I may be shown as “other fibres” with their total percentage.

These are narrow options with conditions, not a way to shorten a normal composition line.

Install FibreLedger and validate each fibre name

Fibres you may leave out of the count

Article 10 says visible, isolable fibres that are purely decorative and do not exceed 7 % of the weight of the finished product, and metallic or antistatic fibres that do not exceed 2 %, do not have to be taken into account in the compositions under Articles 7 and 9. Check the full article before you leave a fibre out.

Install FibreLedger → flag trade names in the composition line

On the Shopify product page

Article 16(1) requires the composition to be clearly visible to the consumer before the purchase, including a purchase made by electronic means, in a manner that is easily legible, visible and clear. Article 16(3) asks for the official language or languages of the Member State where the product is made available, unless that state provides otherwise.

Put the composition line near the price, not in a collapsed tab.
Use Annex I names only, and keep brand names out of the composition line.
Check the percentages add up and the order runs from largest to smallest.
Run each fibre name through FibreLedger to catch names that are not Annex I fibre names.

What this page is not

Not legal advice or a statement that a listing is compliant.
Not a check of percentages or of the “100 %” wording; those are for you to verify against the articles above.
Not a lab test of what a fabric actually contains.

Try a composition in the free textile fibre composition checker.

Not legal advice. Re-check the cited law and the current app page before you rely on this page.

Install FibreLedger Textile Labels on the Shopify App Store