General Electric's expanded polytetrafluorothylene membranes, called in eVent and used in fabrics for apparel and footwear, have been awarded the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification. This standard is described as a comprehensive, global certification program for the safety of textile products that tests them for chemical substances believed to be harmful to human health. The certification is independent and voluntary. Oeko-Tex issues more than 12,000 Standard 100 certificates per year. Working with some 9,500 companies in 90 countries, Oeko-Tex has already issued nearly 125,000 such certificates until now. Founded in 1992 by the German Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute, the International Oeko-Tex Association is headquartered in Zurich, and its membership includes 15 independent textile research and testing institutes with 67 offices in 60 countries.