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This a US programme:
In the USA, the National Sanitation Foundation independent testing programs require companies to comply with the strict standards imposed by the NSF and its product certification programs. From extensive product testing and material analyses to unannounced plant inspections, the NSF is the only third-party testing organization to undertake a complete evaluation of every aspect of a product's development before it can earn a certification.
Most importantly for you, NSF Certification is not a one-time activity. They do not just test a single model of a product and give it an okay. The certification programs require regular on-site inspections of the manufacturing facilities. In addition, certified products are periodically re-tested against the requirements of the most current version of the applicable national standard. If for any reason a product fails to meet one or more of the certification criteria, they will take whatever enforcement actions necessary to protect the public, including product recall, public notification, or de-certification.
Please note that the NSF does not rate or compare the products they certify. They understand that each consumer has unique needs, so they developed programs to verify that each product certified meets the requirements of the applicable national standard. In addition, if a performance claim is being made for a product, such as a water treatment device, they ensure that the product actually is able to meet that claim.
Credibility is what NSF Certification is all about. The NSF uses the terms "certified" or "listed" in connection with a product, good, component, system, material, compound or ingredient ("Product"). A Product that is certified or listed means that the NSF: (1) reviewed the Product, most often through a sampling of the Product; (2) determined at the time of the review that the Product complies with the relevant NSF consensus standard and/or protocol ("Standard"); and (3) conducted or will conduct (as more specifically set forth in the Standard) periodic audits to review whether the Product continues to comply with the Standard. After the NSF certifies or lists the Product, the NSF authorizes the manufacturer of the Product to use the NSF Mark on or in connection with the sale, use or distribution of that Product. The NSF Mark conveys that an independent, third-party organization (NSF) has determined that the Product complies with the relevant Standard.
Last update: 04:52 PM Friday, April 16, 2010
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