Standardizing Trypsin Digestion Parameters for Cashmere Identification
Standardized trypsin digestion at pH 8.2 and thirty-seven degrees for sixteen hours yields diagnostic peptides separating cashmere from wool by liquid chromatography.
Wool Products Labeling Act
Statutory Requirement
Federal legislation governs the disclosure of animal fibre composition on products offered for sale to consumers. The wool products labeling act mandates accurate content descriptions for any item containing sheep, angora goat, camel, alpaca, llama, or vicuna hair. Manufacturers must attach a tag identifying the percentage of total fibre weight for each component.
Any reclaimed or recycled material receives a distinct designation within these disclosures to prevent deception regarding quality. The statute grants enforcement powers to the commission overseeing trade practices, which monitors labels for compliance against actual material samples taken from finished goods.
Composition Standard
Accurate marking relies upon the laboratory separation of fibres from a finished textile item. Technicians remove non-fibrous additions like sizing or coatings before measuring the mass of each animal hair type. Total weight serves as the basis for the percentage listed on the garment label.
A five percent tolerance applies to design ornamentation such as decorative stripes or buttons.
Enforcement Mechanism
Audits occur when retail stock undergoes scrutiny during regional trade inspections. Officials extract fibres from garments to verify that the chemistry matches the claims stated by the mill. Discrepancies between the laboratory results and the printed label trigger an immediate notification of violation.
Legal consequences arise if the product lacks the required information or misrepresents the origin and type of animal hair.
Commercial Boundary
Domestic manufacturing facilities and importers bear the burden of verification before shipping units to retail markets. Sales of items consisting entirely of non-animal fibres fall outside the jurisdiction of this mandate. Requirements apply specifically to goods marketed as wool, including items blended with synthetic yarns.
Enforcement protects market integrity by ensuring that high-value natural fibres remain distinguishable from lower-cost substitutes through standardized verification.