| NSF International | |
|---|---|
NSF International Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan |
|
| Abbreviation | NSF |
| Motto | The public health and safety company |
| Formation | 1944 |
| Type | Testing, Inspection and Certification Organization |
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Region served | 150 countries |
| President and CEO | Kevan P. Lawlor |
| Staff | 1,200 (2011) |
| Website | www.nsf.org |
NSF International is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based not-for-profit public health and environmental organization that provides standards development, product certification, auditing, education and risk management services.[1]
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NSF International was founded in 1944 from the University of Michigan's School of Public Health as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to standardize sanitation and food safety requirements. The transparent, consensus-based process established to develop NSF International's first standards regarding the sanitation of soda fountain and luncheonette equipment, became the process by which NSF International developed other public health and safety standards. To date, NSF has developed more than 77 public health and safety American National Standards. As NSF expanded services beyond sanitation and into new international markets, the name was changed to NSF International in 1990.
NSF International is an accredited, third-party certification body that tests and certifies products to verify they meet these public health and safety standards. Products that meet these standards bear the NSF Mark.[2]
NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. NSF operates more than 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) of laboratory space and serves companies in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 1,200-plus staff includes microbiologists, toxicologists, chemists, engineers, environmental and public health professionals.[3]
NSF International is dedicated to being the leading global provider of public health and safety-based risk management solutions while serving the interests of all stakeholders, namely the public, the business community and government agencies.[4]
The NSF Food Safety Division includes NSF Foodservice Equipment certification; food safety and quality auditing and certification through NSF Agriculture, NSF Cook & Thurber and NSF-CMi; Global Food Safety Standards Certification (SQF, BRC, GlobalGAP, FSSC, IFS, Dutch HACCP); NSF Restaurant and Supermarket Food Safety programs; Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Certification Council (ACC), HACCP validation and inspection through NSF Surefish Seafood Safety; bottled water/flavored beverage quality certification; and organic and gluten-free certification through Quality Assurance International (QAI).[5]
The NSF Water Division certifies products that come into contact with drinking water, such as plumbing components, water treatment chemicals and drinking water filters, as well as pool and spa equipment. NSF developed the American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water to help protect public health and the environment and minimize adverse health effects.[6]
The NSF Health Sciences Division provides reference standards, certification, training, consulting, good manufacturing practice (GMP) and good laboratory practice (GLP) testing, R&D and auditing for the pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and medical device industries. It includes NSF Reference Standards, NSF Dietary Supplement Certification, NSF Pharmalytica and NSF-DBA.
The NSF Consumer Products Division tests and certifies consumer products and appliances used in and around the home including toys, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and kitchen products such as cookware, cutlery and cutting boards.[7]
NSF Sustainability provides standards development and certification for sustainably produced products such as carpet, flooring, fabrics and other building materials; and process verification services such as greenhouse gas verification, environmental footprinting, and environmental management systems registrations.
NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) provides management systems registrations to internationally accepted standards for quality assurance for the automotive, aerospace, medical, and manufacturing industries (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS9100, etc.).[8]
NSF Education and Training provides training and education for professionals in the food safety, water, health sciences, consumer product and management systems registrations industries.[9]
NSF maintains laboratories throughout the U.S., Europe and China. NSF's laboratories are accredited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Standards Council of Canada. NSF laboratories are ISO 17025 certified (testing and calibration), and provide a wide range of testing, certification and technical services for the home appliances and consumer product industries (e.g. toy, beverage quality, food service equipment, nutritional supplement, drinking water treatment units, and automotive aftermarket parts); retail food, growers, processors and seafood industries; pipes, plumbing components and treatment chemicals for the water industry; and analytical testing for the supplement and pharmaceutical industry.[10]
NSF Standards are developed, maintained, and revised by the committee ballot system, similar to that used by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ASTM. The committees consist of equal numbers of representatives of groups affected by the scope of the standard. For instance, for Standard 61, Drinking Water Systems Components - Health Effects, the committee is made of manufacturers of plumbing parts, material manufacturers (plastics, metals, etc.), toxicologists, state regulatory officials, and the like. Any changes related to testing requirements are vetted through lab testing, and balloting ensures majority rule.[11]