Total Transparency
As we have previously clarified we have initiated retail promotion of Egyptian cotton logo through announcement of changes in our accreditation and development of the Egyptian cotton logo .As you are well aware from industry activities, the market has been flooded by unbranded cotton products merchandised as of Egyptian cotton. This has reached saturation levels in both towels and sheets which necessitated urgent action to protect the brand entity.
In this regard, we have initiated changes in the certification and monitoring of the Egyptian logo.
We currently register members through Egyptian product certification against which logo is assigned .Though each registration carries a numbered reference, we have not used this as association reference at retail .Going forward we will now use this registration number as a merchandising tool to enable us to promote the genuine Egyptian cotton logo manufacturer, as also, a monitoring tool on all goods in stores.
In our promotion of Egyptian cotton product with retail, it became apparent that, outside clear identification of those manufacturers who are genuine certified suppliers of Egyptian cotton, the retailers sought clear demarcation of mills who have transparency in production of process of Egyptian product manufacture from raw cotton through to final product .To this end we initiated Total Transparency [R] process with clearly defined criteria in certifying product manufacture with Egyptian cotton. It is suggested that retailers will include the process within Total Transparency [R] process as integral to their compliance requirements in Egypt cotton purchase.
We seek to afford you clear direction as to the format of Total Transparency in the accreditation of mill that products made therein secure genuine Egyptian Cotton product supplier status.
Mills may choose to adopt different format in their preparation of data to substantiate assertion that product is made of Egyptian cotton.
However, all data must be clear and precise from cotton purchase details through production confirming all the data detailed in the attached proposed (traceability system PDF file).
Through collaboration we can work on this process with those mills who have developed systems monitoring current Egyptian Cotton through their production flow.
It is appreciated that the Total Transparency accreditation will take time in finalisation at all logo registered mills.
Where mills are using genuine Egyptian cotton we will review and, accept substantiation of Egyptian cotton usage from the confirming data available.
Should you purchase Egyptian cotton as yarn from outside resource, we will need advice on this to establish the validity of their product offering so as to ensure there is no misunderstanding when samples of your product lines are DNA tested from retail .It is preferable we establish validity of Egyptian merchandising at manufacturing point rather retrospectively than through such exercise.
Sharing the objective of meeting the expectations and aspirations of the retail guest, we will do our outmost to provide the finest genuine Egyptian Cotton by applying the total transparency concept throughout the supply chain.