Content Claims - Species

Navigating content claims for down and feather products can be challenging! We’re here to help with a quick guide to some of the content claims regulations that we hope will help you shop with confidence! It is important to choose brands that understand and work within the regulations that apply to their products.

The following information applies to the Canadian and US markets only. The majority of our readers are from these countries, so we’ve tried to keep it simple!

If a product is advertised as containing material of a particular species, the material must contain at least 90% of the listed species.

For example, if a product is labeled as a duck down product, it must contain a minimum of 90% duck content. If a product is labeled as a goose feather product, it must contain a minimum of 90% goose content.

As a side note, both down and feather can come from either species!

It is not required to claim a species for a down or feather product. It does not need to be stated on advertising, packaging, or sewn-in labels. However, if a brand does choose to state the species, it must meet the 90% minimum.

Most goose down and feather products advertise the goose species. This is simply because goose material is fairly expensive, so it is a way of justifying the price of the product. Also, the common perception is that goose material is of higher quality, making goose material more sought after, so it’s a feature worth mentioning for marketing purposes.

There are a few reasons why species may not be claimed at all:

• If the product is filled with duck material, a brand may shy away from using the term ‘duck’ because of the common perception that it is lower quality.
• Sometimes, brands prefer to be flexible and fill a product with material from either species or a mixture, depending on what they have in stock at what price at any given time. This type of flexibility can help a company stay lean and efficient.
• Or, a brand may simply choose to focus on different product features and not make the species the focal point of the product.

Regardless, it’s up to the brand / seller. If you’re wondering about the species of any product, the brand or manufacturer should be able to provide you with more information, even if it is not explicitly listed.

Read our blog post for more about the difference between duck and goose material.

Detailed information on content claims regulations:
Canada:

• Guide to the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations
• Guide to the Labelling of Down and Feathers
• Detailed requirements for Textile labelling requirements – Fibre, down and feather content

USA:

• Down…But Not Out: Advertising and Labeling of Feather [&] Down

IDFL:

• Information & Articles