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Legal Standards for Down
Canadian Standards for Down
LEGAL DEFINITION OF DOWN
| Down & Plumules |
75% Minimum |
Extraneous
(total of components below) |
25% Maximum |
Waterfowl feathers
not more than 60 mm |
25% Maximum |
| Down Fibre |
15% Maximum |
| Waterfowl feather fibre |
5% Maximum |
| Landfowl feather & feather fibre |
2% Maximum |
| Residue |
2% Maximum |
 There is no such thing as "100% down", "pure down", or "all down", and it is illegal to label or advertise a down filled item as such. The only legal description that can be used is "Down" providing it conforms to the composition requirements listed above. If described as a "Goose Down", then the 75% minimum down content must be a minimum of 90% of the described species: ie 90% goose down. The other 10% can be duck down.
Thus, a "Goose Down" could be:
| Goose Down |
68% |
| Duck Down |
7% |
| Extraneous |
25% |
| Total Down |
75% |
Occasionally you will come across labels such as "Prime Northern Goose Down" "AAA" etc. These are brand names, and are not indicators of quality. One very misleading name is "Siberian Goose Down". Geese don't live in Siberia. As quality rises with a given down, so does the purity. High quality goose downs will often be 90% pure or higher. Eiderdown is almost 100% pure, as it is hand sorted.
USA Standards for Down
LEGAL DEFINITION OF DOWN
| Down & Plumules |
75% Minimum |
Extraneous
(total of components below) |
25% Maximum |
| Damaged feathers |
2% Maximum |
| Down Fibre |
10% Maximum |
| Waterfowl feather fibre |
10% Maximum |
| Landfowl feather & feather fibre |
2% Maximum |
| Residue |
2% Maximum |
 Labels must now state actual percentage of down content, so you will find on our labels notations such as 90% Down Content underneath the statement that says "WHITE GOOSE DOWN".
All blends must be stated as to exact content. If the label says 50% down, it must have no less than 50% down.
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