What is the Down Codex?

• Life plucking and moulting plucking are prohibited.
• The used down must be a by-product of the food industry.
• There is no forced fattening.
• The animals live under species-appropriate conditions.

All Downs are being cleaned and sorted directly after plucking without the aid of a solvent. Additionally all downs intended for Mountain Equipment products are tested by IDFL regarding cleanness, composition and fillpower.

The "Down Codex" project was therefore not only developed to ensure the quality of the downs but also to monitor their origin and production. Mountain Equipment successfully focuses on sustainability, animal welfare and our own ethical responsibility.

Since September 2014 all down products by Mountain Equipment are Down Codex certificated and consequently all downs have been produced ecological and in accordance with animal welfare standards.

Another important goal of the Down Codex was do heighten the understanding and transparency of the complex down supply chain.
In accordance with this goal all down products are labelled with a 12-digit code since September 2012, which helps identify the supply chain of the downs via the Down Codex Homepage.

Monitoring

All parent farms, slaughterhouses, retailers and processing companies along the entire supply chain will be subject to controls (audits). These audits will be carried out every year since 2022 by the IDFL – announced as well as unannounced. The audits include a visit, document reviews, protocols, photos and personal interviews. All results will be published online, which further contributes to the transparency and credibility of the Down Codex. The published results include a general evaluation of the risk level, as well as an animal welfare and quality report of the down. In case a factory fails an audit or part of an audit, it must improve the situation in the respective production area following the Down Codex guidelines within half a year. The risk level must me minimized considerably. If no improvement and therewith no minimization of the risk level can be reported after the next audit, a further cooperation with Mountain Equipment is not possible.

Conclusion

With the strict guidelines along the supply chain, the independent, extensive controls and the traceability of down production, the Down Codex represents one of the most comprehensive and transparent control systems for down obtained in accordance with animal welfare.