Most readers will have heard of NSF-International as the sponsor of the CIEH/NEHA Sabbatical Exchange Programme, but what is NSF International and what does it do? Bob Tanner explains

It all started in 1944 at the University of Michigan when a group of people began to develop "public health standards" for commercial food equipment to try to standardise requirements. Today, those early pioneers would be shocked to find that millions of products around the world carry the NSF mark, verifying compliance with NSF standards. Not only food equipment, but swimming pool components, plumbing products, drinking water system components, bottled water, wastewater systems and even biohazard cabinetry.

The organisation started life as the National Sanitation Foundation, an independent, not for profit, third-party foundation. Now renamed NSF-International, it is still a not-for-profit company and still third-party, working with equal commitment to manufacturers, users and consumers. Its involvement in food equipment standards has resulted in a very close working relationship with US registered sanitarians. The NSF mark is effectively a mandatory requirement on commercial food equipment in premises under local RS jurisdiction.

FOOD EQUIPMENT STANDARDS
NSF standards address design, construction, appropriate use of materials and performance criteria. Equipment ranging from cookware and utensils, through refrigeration and cooking equipment, to juice dispensers and espresso machines, are all covered by NSF Food Equipment Standards. Performance criteria relates to temperature accuracy, to regeneration (or rethermalisation) of cook-chill equipment; to the efficiency of a blast chiller, and the effectiveness of in-place cleaning techniques.

One other very important consideration in the US concerns the materials in contact with food and beverages. Each ingredient must comply with the US Food and Drug Administration Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations which lists all accepted ingredients. This is an important element of NSF certification, not only of food equipment but other products in contact with food or beverages. Non-compliant ingredients render the material unacceptable for use in commercial food equipment in the US. These are challenging requirements but they aim to ensure that only quality products are used in food premises.
Haccp has been slow to catch on in the US, as it does not have the same regulatory push as in Europe. It is being introduced sector by sector, but as yet catering premises are not yet subject to the same demands as in Europe.

THE FUTURE
Many European manufacturers of commercial food equipment use NSF Certification to access the North American market. Some are also seeing benefits in Europe in having their products certified. Many of the larger fast-food outlets, some hospital caterers and even cruise-ship fitters specify NSF-certified equipment.
At a recent meeting of the NSF European Food Equipment Manufacturers' Forum, significant interest was shown in the development of European Standards, based on the NSF model. No similar standards currently exist across Europe, the hygiene requirements of the European Machinery Directive falling short of the NSF requirements.
Discussions are now taking place to determine the level of interest in Europe between all parties, including the food law enforcement agencies, before we take the next step.

For more information see www.nsf.org or contact Bob Tanner, European managing director of NSF, at btanner@nsf.org