Quality & Process
Every lot leaving Minardi Piume is tested in our internal laboratory and processed on dedicated plants, before being blended to the customer’s specification.
IDFB-recognised internal laboratory
The recognition is called Qualified Company Inspection Lab: it is the IDFB attesting that the checks we run on our own lots are reliable. Every lot is tested internally, on arrival and before shipment. External confirmation testing is carried out at IDFL (International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory).
- Down content (DC)
- Percentage of down over the total lot: the base parameter to grade down and feather.
- Down cluster size
- Size of the down cluster: at equal down content, a larger cluster means higher insulating power and longer life.
- Fill Power
- Volume occupied by the down at equal weight, measured in a dedicated conditioned climatic chamber: the direct measure of insulating power and loft.
- Species
- Microscope analysis of the lot composition by species.
- Cleanliness
- Degree of cleanliness of the material, measured on two indices: oxygen number, the residual oxidisable organic matter in the sample, and turbidity, the clarity of the water the sample is shaken in under test conditions.
- Fat & Oil content
- Percentage of fat and oil left after washing: it affects odour, hygiene and the stability of the material over time.
- Color separation
- Colour separation of the lot, decisive for light-coloured garments and fabrics, where even a few dark clusters show through.
Processing
Dedicated washing and sorting plants, sized to handle high volumes without compromising the traceability of each individual lot.
4
dedicated washing lines, served by 5 washing machines.
11
Lorch sorting machines for grading down and feather, plus 4 being installed.
15,000+ kg
processing capacity per day.
Custom blending
Selected batches are blended to reach the down content and fill power required by each individual customer: production starts from the specification, not from a standard warehouse lot.
6
dedicated blending machines: several customer specifications in production at the same time, with no cross-contamination between lots.
Certifications & Standards
Every certification is verified by a third-party body: here is what it guarantees in practice and where to check it.
RDS — Responsible Down Standard
What it guarantees
Traces animal welfare across the whole supply chain: no live-plucking, no force-feeding, from the individual farm through to the processed lot.
Why it matters to buyers
For the buyer, it is third-party verified proof — not a self-declaration — that the down purchased does not come from prohibited practices. Our status can be checked independently on the public Textile Exchange database, by searching our TE-ID.
Scope Certificate IDF-25-877173 (RDS v3.0), issued by IDFL · TE-ID TE-99972951
GRS — Global Recycled Standard
What it guarantees
Verifies the declared recycled content and the chain of custody, from the recycling department through to the finished product.
Why it matters to buyers
Certifies that P.U.R.E.® sold as recycled down actually is, with verified rather than estimated percentages. From 2027 the GRS will be folded into Textile Exchange’s Materials Matter Standard: the transition is already in our plan and does not affect the validity of current certificates.
Scope Certificate IDF-25-877174 (GRS v4.0), issued by IDFL — Filling/Stuffing, Unisex Apparel and Home Textiles categories
Downpass
What it guarantees
Ethical and quality standard dedicated to down and feather: animal welfare and material quality certified together, lot by lot.
Why it matters to buyers
Combines ethical and quality assurance in a single standard, reducing the buyer’s need for multiple certifications on the same lot. Every sealed product carries an individual verification number, and the list of certified manufacturers is public.
Certificate DP2017, ID 26-959313 — down and feather filling material
DIST — Down Integrity System & Traceability
What it guarantees
A traceability and animal welfare protocol covering the entire supply chain, from farm to finished product: no live-plucking, no force-feeding, and a documented chain of custody at every step.
Why it matters to buyers
It is the most demanding protocol we apply on the on-site verification front: it requires an annual audit at our plant by Control Union, covering chain of custody as well as social and environmental checks. For a brand, it means a supply chain already inspected under a protocol born inside the luxury segment.
Annual on-site audit by Control Union — most recent audit November 2025
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100
What it guarantees
Attests the absence of harmful chemical substances in the material, tested against a catalogue of parameters stricter than legal limits. Our certificate is in Product Class I: the strictest class of the standard, the one reserved for articles for babies and toddlers.
Why it matters to buyers
Gives the buyer a publicly verifiable chemical safety guarantee, with a licence code that can be checked online. Product Class I means the material meets the limits set for products intended for babies and toddlers: anyone making children’s bedding does not need to commission a further test.
Certificate 16CX00063, issued in Italy by Centrocot — washed goose and duck down and feather filling material, Product Class I
IDFB — International Down and Feather Bureau
What it guarantees
Our internal laboratory holds IDFB recognition as a Qualified Company Inspection Lab to perform the industry-standard tests: down content and down cluster size, Fill Power, species analysis, cleanliness (oxygen number and turbidity), fat & oil content, colour separation.
Why it matters to buyers
Every lot is tested internally before shipment, with external confirmation testing also carried out at IDFL: the technical data the buyer receives is verified, not merely declared. The laboratory was also the first in Italy to be recognised by the European Down and Feather Association (EDFA).
Qualified Company Inspection Lab no. 2026-RL-50 · IDFB Membership no. 2026-MC-50
The latest audits
A certification is worth what it withstands under inspection. Three independent audits between November 2025 and March 2026, no non-conformities raised.
RDS + GRS
IDFL · November 2025
No non-conformities
Joint audit covering both standards.
DIST
Control Union · November 2025
No non-conformities
Annual on-site audit of the chain of custody.
Downpass
Downpass e.V. · March 2026
No non-conformities
Certificate renewal audit.
The outcome refers to these certification audits. The assessment path of our system partnership, which is a different thing from a certification, is described on the Sustainability page.
System partnership
bluesign® System Partner
We are a bluesign System Partner: a company-level commitment on chemicals, resources and production processes at the source, not a product certification.
See the full partnership →Need the specification for a material?
Our laboratory prepares technical data sheets tailored to your specification: down content, fill power, species and certifications.
Talk to the laboratory