OTTAWA, August 1, 2007 -- A Competition Bureau inspection of ultraviolet (UV) protective clothing found that most --- but not all -- UV protective garments live up to their stated levels of protection. The Competition Bureau encourages consumers to read product labels carefully and to educate themselves about the information they provide.
"The Bureau's inspections help ensure that Canadians get what they pay for when buying UV protective clothing," said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Competition. "The Bureau will continue to educate companies and to monitor labelled products and claims in the Canadian marketplace to promote compliance by industry and to ensure a fair and competitive marketplace."
The Bureau conducted inspections at retail stores, manufacturers and distributors across Canada. These inspections revealed that the tags on the great majority of garments were accurate and truthful about the UV protection offered. Throughout this project, the Bureau also worked to educate companies about claims that could be false and misleading under the Textile Labelling Act.
The inspections identified one company from Oakville, Ontario, which sells clothing under the Sunveil Sunwear label, that had tagged all of its garments as providing considerably more UV protection than they actually did. The company took immediate action and removed all UV protection claims from its tags and corporate Web site.
The Bureau urges consumers to learn about the claims made on UV protective clothing and how to decide what level of protection they need. Here are a few helpful tips:
Clothing specially made to block out UV light should be labelled with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating. A rating of UPF 15 is the lowest level of protection that is labelled on UV protective clothing. This is rated to block 93.3 per cent of the sun's rays;
Consumers should assess the prices of garments with different levels of UV protection. It may be that the higher priced garment offers only minimally more protection. For example, clothing labelled UPF 30 blocks 96.7 per cent of the sun's rays while clothing labelled UPF 50 blocks 98 per cent;
All clothing provides some protection from ultraviolet light. Denim, for example, provides excellent UV protection but is not normally labelled UV protective;
Consumers should also look closely at products with claims such as "all-day protection," "no sun screen required" and "blocks all UV light or rays." These claims have little meaning, since no fabric offers 100 per cent protection from UV light.
For more information about what to look for when purchasing UV protective clothing, please see: Guidance on UV Protective Clothing.
In the course of its examination, the Bureau also identified more than 200,000 garment labels bearing no dealer identification and others bearing improper fibre disclosure or incomplete dealer identification. The dealers have since dealt with the identified problems to the Bureau's satisfaction by correcting the labels in a timely manner.
Labels have two main purposes: to identify the fibre content of the garment and to enable consumers to contact the dealer regarding any concerns about the garment. Label information helps consumers make better-informed purchasing decisions. For more information on dealer identification and fibre content, please see: Guidance on the Labelling of Textiles.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that promotes and maintains fair competition so that all Canadians can benefit from competitive prices, product choice and quality services. It oversees the application of the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Marilyne Nahum
Communications Advisor
Competition Bureau
819-953-9760
For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
819-997-4282
Toll free: 1-800-348-5358
TDD (hearing impaired): 1-800-642-3844
compbureau@cb-bc.gc.ca
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Consumer Guidance on UV Protective Clothing
Information to look for on the tags of ultraviolet (UV) protective clothing:
All clothing provides some protection from UV light. However, clothing specially made to block out UV light is available on the market. When purchasing UV protective clothing, consumers should look for the UPF rating on the tags and question any exaggerated claims such as: "all day protection," "no sun screen required," and "blocks all UV light or rays." These claims have little meaning, since no fabric offers 100 per cent protection from UV light.
Currently, the United States and Australia/New Zealand industry standards are among the most commonly referred to on UV protective promotional material. These standards refer to the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) which is the classification used by industry to determine the level of UV protection afforded by the garment. Generally speaking, the higher the UPF rating, the higher the level of protection that will be afforded to you and your family. The tags on UV protective garments will usually display the level of protection in the following manner:
Garments offering UV protection will have a single UPF rating displayed on the tag. UV Protective garments may be rated UPF 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 or 50+;
UV protection garments may have protection categories relating to the UPF ratings as outlined below:
UV Protection Categories
UPF Rating Protection Category % UV Light Blocked3
151 Good 93.3
20 Good 95.0
25 Very Good 96.0
30 Very Good 96.7
35 Very Good 97.1
40 Excellent 97.5
45 Excellent 97.8
50 Excellent 98.0
50+2 Excellent >98.0
1 A value of UPF 15 is the lowest level of protection to be labelled on UV protective clothing.
2 A value of UPF 50+ is only to be labelled on UV protective clothing that has a protection value greater than UPF 50.
3 These percentage values are not to be used for making UV protection claims on garments or on any other promotional material.
Helpful tips when purchasing UV protective clothing:
Wearing UV protective clothing is one way for Canadians to protect their skin from the potentially harmful effects of the sun. The higher the UPF rating of a garment, the greater the amount of UV light absorbed by it. For example, wearing a garment with a UPF rating of 40 allows 1/40th of the sun's UV radiation to pass through it. This means that when wearing this garment, it will take 40 times longer for your skin to become visibly red than if it were uncovered.
What affects the UPF rating of clothing?
Fabric Mass: Generally the heavier the garment's fabric, the higher the UPF.
Fabric Weave: Tightly woven or knitted fabrics will allow less UV light to pass through than those with a looser weave or knit.
Fabric Content: Different materials (e.g. cotton, nylon, polyester) have different natural UV-absorbing properties.
Treatments: Some garments are treated with a UV-absorbing finish or an optical brightener to increase the UPF rating.
Colour: Darker colours usually block a higher proportion of UV light.
Condition: Fabrics which are worn thin, wet or stretched may have reduced protection from UV light.
The design of the garment also needs to be considered. Shirts with long sleeves and high collars, and hats that shade the face and protect the back of the neck and ears are most effective. Loose fitting clothing generally offers more protection than tight fitting clothing.
For more detailed information, please contact the Information Centre of the Competition Bureau at 1-800-348-5358 or 819-997-4282.
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Guidance on the Labelling of Textiles for Businesses
If you manufacture, import or sell consumer textile articles, you need to know the basic labelling requirements set out by the Textile Labelling Act and the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations.
Dealer's Responsibility
Retailers, manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer textile articles are responsible for ensuring that the articles are labelled in the manner required by the regulations and that any claims or representations concerning the product's quality, performance, origin, etc., are factual. Dealers are encouraged to develop a "quality control" system that will help them ensure that the fibre content and other information on their product labels, or in advertisements, are correct.
Required Label Information
The box illustrates the minimum information required on the label of a consumer textile article.
65% Cotton/Coton
35% Polyester ¹
CA 12345 ²
¹ Fibre Content
Show the generic name of each fibre whose mass represents five per cent or more of the total mass of the article's fibres.
If the article consists of a number of sections differing in fibre content, the label has to identify each of the sections and its fibre content.
If the fibre content is not known or cannot be determined, the label may show "unknown fibres," "undetermined fibres," "miscellaneous fibres," or "mixed fibres," provided that the percentage of the total mass of unknown fibres is specified.
For more information on how to label articles containing fibres whose mass is less than five per cent of the total mass, or articles with trimming or ornamentation, see the Guide to the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations.
² Dealer Identity
Show the name and complete postal address of the responsible dealer (manufacturer, importer or retailer) or
Show the registered identification number of the Canadian dealer (CA number)
Type and Form of Label
A "permanent" label is required on many types of consumer textile articles, including coats, pants, bed linens, towels, and draperies. A "permanent" label is one that can remain attached and legible through 10 cleanings of the product.
A non-permanent label (tag, sticker, wrapper) may be used for articles such as hosiery, gloves, sleepwear, underwear, piece goods, and table linens.
For custom-made articles (draperies, furniture, suits, etc.) the fibre content and dealer identity may be shown on the invoice, bill of sale, or other document, provided properly labelled samples or swatches are available for the consumer to examine prior to making the purchase.
For more detailed information, please contact the Information Centre of the Competition Bureau at 1-800-348-5358 or 819-997-4282
