Protecting the Reputation of Australian White Merino Wool

The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), through its Australian affiliate, the Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO) has initiated a program to protect the reputation of Australia's premium Merino white wool by managing the risk of dark and/or medullated fibre contamination.

Australian Wool Innovation is funding this program.

The Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd (AWTA) played a key role in getting the program off the ground and is strongly supporting this important industry initiative.

The aim of this program is to:

• Enable Australia's white wool growers to promote their wool as such to buyers.
• Provide buyers and processors with a reliable and quantified measure of the level of dark and/or medullated fibre risk in sale lots. This includes contamination of white wool from traditional naturally occurring pigmentation, stains and from the new source, i.e. from contact with exotic breeds.

This is achieved by assigning a Dark & Medullated Risk Rating from 1 (best) to 6 (worst) to sale lots, with Ratings 1 and 2 suitable for white or pastel shade end products