Down and Feather Bedding Decoded For the Consumer
ADFC Launches Consumer Web Page to Answer Common Questions
NEW YORK, NY (June 12, 2008) – Have you ever found yourself standing in the bedding department of a store, surrounded by down and feather comforters, blankets and pillows, wondering how on earth to choose the right one? Because purchasing down and feather bedding products can be confusing for shoppers, the American Downs and Feather Council (ADFC) has launched a consumer Web page that features information on how to choose and care for these products. Visit the page here: http://www.downandfeather.org/consumer.html. The product labels and packaging are not always helpful as they often include unfamiliar terms such as “fill power” and “loft,” and it is often difficult for consumers to differentiate between products with varying ratios of down and feather. The goal of the ADFC consumer Web page is to educate shoppers about what they are getting when they buy natural fill products and the best ways to clean and store them so they will be satisfied with their purchases for years to come.
Stephen Palmer, ADFC chair and co-president of United Feather and Down explains, “This information will help shoppers make informed decisions in purchasing and properly caring for their down and feather bedding. The page will be updated periodically to answer consumers’ questions and concerns as they arise.”
One way consumers can be sure that they are getting a quality product is to look for the ADFC Seal of Approval (seen above) when buying down and feather bedding products. The presence of the seal on a product’s package indicates that the manufacturer is an ADFC member and participates in the Labeling Compliance Program.
According to Palmer, “ADFC members started the Labeling Compliance Program because they are committed to truth-in-labeling and want consumers to be able to make educated decisions about which products to purchase.”
The compliance program, launched in January 2006, seeks to ensure that all natural fill bedding products sold in the U.S. meet industry standards as well as state and federal regulations.
About ADFC
The American Down and Feather Council, a section of the Home Fashion Products Association, is a voluntary association of manufacturers of natural-fill bedding products, as well as dealers, buyers, sellers and processors of feathers and down for use in home fashion products. The goal of the ADFC is to further the common interests of the down and feather products industry, and to maintain and improve product quality. The objective of the ADFC Labeling Compliance Program is to ensure all natural-fill bedding products sold in the U.S. are labeled correctly and that the quality of the products meets or exceeds the claims made on the label or packaging.