Food Equipment Certification

In fact, NSF originally brought together key stakeholders back in the 1940s to develop the first consensus standards for restaurant equipment sanitation. Public health inspectors liked what they saw, and began requiring product certification to NSF/ANSI standards.

Today, U.S. requirements for NSF standards certification are so prevalent that it is virtually impossible to build a new restaurant or commercial kitchen without NSF. It is the most specified certification, and the most recognized mark in the industry.

Over 75 years ago, NSF brought key industry stakeholders together to facilitate the development of the first consensus standards for restaurant foodservice equipment. Since then, NSF has jointly developed over 75 standards and certified thousands of products as safe to use in commercial food settings.

NSF food equipment standards include requirements for material safety, to ensure the product will not leach harmful chemicals into food; design and construction, to ensure the product is cleanable and is not likely to harbor bacteria; and product performance. NSF certification to these standards also includes audits of the production facility to ensure the product is made using good manufacturing practices.

Required in many countries to ensure there is no transfer of constituents to food in quantities that could endanger human health or bring about an unacceptable change or deterioration in food composition. In the U.S., materials are often required to comply with 21 CFR. Similarly, all food contact materials (FCMs) manufactured or sold in the European Union must comply with EU Framework Regulation No. 1935/2004.

NSF’s full range of services include:

21 CFR Material Formulation Review

Our team of toxicologists reviews material formulations to determine whether the ingredients are FDA compliant to 21 CFR regulations for the intended end use of the material.

21 CFR End Testing

Scientists in our 130,000-square-foot laboratory conduct the appropriate analyses for food contact materials to determine potential leaching at varying conditions of exposure.

EU Legislation Compliance

NSF's expert staff and toxicologists can assist manufacturers in navigating the complex legislation and developing supporting documents to demonstrate compliance to the Framework Regulation EC 1935/2004, material-specific measures and the national legislation of the EU member states.

Food Contact Notifications (FCNs)

Our staff helps compile and submit food contact notifications as a requirement of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for indirect food additive and secondary additive substances that are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or not previously authorized by the FDA for the intended end use.

Safety Assessments

NSF’s experienced toxicologists conduct safety and risk assessments on various substances. We review and evaluate comprehensive scientific literature, identify and resolve any data gaps and apply various toxicology and exposure modeling tools to support risk-management decisions.