Introduction to the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)

Founded in 1944, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is an independent, not-for-profit NGO. NSF  specializes in standards development, product testing and certification  services in the areas of public health, safety and environmental  protection. It is an authority in the field of public health and safety.  Millions  of consumer, commercial and industrial products are printed with the  NSF logo every year and have been trusted by consumers, industry  insiders and manufacturing organizations for many years. NSF's mission is to develop and implement management plans for public health and services, research and education. As  a reliable neutral organization, NSF provides services to governments,  industry and consumers to address public health and environmental  issues.
NSF's technical resources include testing equipment and analytical chemistry and microbiology laboratories. NSF  professionals include engineers, chemists, toxicologists, public health  scientists, and computer scientists with extensive experience in public  health, food safety, water quality, and the environment. NSF-issued  certification is recognized by the American National Standards  Institute (ANSI) and the Canadian Standards Council (SCC).
The meaning of the NSF logo
As  a neutral third party, NSF's certification of US and international  standards is approved and certified by 13 national or industry  authoritative organizations including the American National Standards  Institute (ANSI), the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration,  and the Canadian National Standards Council. NSF  is the designated collaboration center for the World Health  Organization (WHO) on food safety and drinking water safety and  treatment. Products  that have passed NSF testing and meet NSF standards are authorized to  use the NSF logo, so any product licensed with the NSF logo means that  the product is confirmed in the following ways:
1. The ability to remove impurities marked in the product specification can be achieved;
2.  The materials that make up the product do not add contaminating  components to the water during the process of treating the water;
3. Meet the design and production process requirements;
4. There are no structural and functional defects in the product;
5. The certification standards shown in the advertisements, sample materials and logos of the products are true and accurate.
The NSF certification system is of great significance to in-house people, consumers and manufacturing units. A  trusted, objective and independent third-party monitoring agency,  unanimously recognized by the NSF, the public and the government, has  tested and verified that the product complies with specific standards,  which means that the product with the logo is rigorously tested and Guaranteed. All  units participating in the NSF certification system must be tested,  retested and tested by a third party. The manufacturing unit must  produce the product in accordance with published standards. Standards include standards related to product manufacturing, materials, design, and process flow.

At  the same time, NSF mandates that if a company wants to print an NSF  logo on a product, it must comply with the strict requirements of NSF  certification and authorization. These requirements include initial and periodic testing and evaluation, and even surprise testing. If  the identification is found to be misused, or the product does not  comply with the demand, NSF may take the seizure of the product and  inventory goods, or even destroy the unqualified products, blacklist,  and take recalls, legal actions, notify the public, cancel the  certification. Qualifications, etc. or other rigorous actions. NSF  represents the interests of all parties and will regulate the behavior  of people, consumers and manufacturing units in the industry, and  supervise the implementation of policies and the authority of  certification.

NSF scope and implementation standards
I Water Programs
Water treatment products
Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals (NSF/ANSI Std. 60)
Drinking water treatment chemical reagent
Flocculants, surfactants, disinfectants, etc.
Drinking Water Treatment Units (NSF/ANSI Std. 42, 44, 53, 55, 58, 62)
Drinking water treatment facility
Water filters, water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, distillers, UV disinfection, etc.
Municipal Drinking Water System Components (NSF/ANSI Std. 61, AWWA)
Municipal drinking water treatment system equipment
Coatings, valves, pipes, water meters, in-line devices, etc.
Plumbing System Components (NSF/ANSI Std. 14, 24, ASTM, ASME, CSA, IAPMO, ASSE)
Piping system facility
Plastic pipe and fittings, faucets, valves, plumbing fixtures, metal piping, electrical and telecom conduit, etc.
Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs (NSF/ANSI Std. 50, ASME)
Swimming pool, spa, bath equipment
Filters, chemical feeding equipment, multiport valves, etc.
Wastewater Treatment Units (NSF/ANSI Std. 40, 41, 46, 69)
Wastewater treatment equipment
Whole house wastewater treatment systems, filters, pumps, etc.
II Food Programs
Beverages, food products and processing equipment
Bottled Water and Packaged Ice
Bottled water and bagged ice
Mineral water, spring water, purified water
Food Equipment (NSF/ANSI Std. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 21, 25, 29, 35, 36, 37, 51, 52, 59, C- 2)
Food and beverage equipment
Manual  food and beverage dispensing equipment, commercial refrigerators,  automatic ice-making equipment, electrical certification, etc.
Food Processing Equipment (NSF/ANSI/3-A Std. 14159-1-2000)
Food processing equipment
Meat and poultry processing equipment, etc.
HACCP-9000?
Validation program for the control of known food safety hazards
NSF-Cook & Thurber
Processed-based food safety and quality audits, retail food safety audits, food safety training
Shelf Stable Products (NSF/ANSI Std. 75)
Soft pies, filled pastries
III Additional Programs
Other
Athletic Banned Substances Screening
Athlete illicit drug testing
Olympics, professional sports, amateur sports, etc.
Dietary Supplements (NSF/ANSI Std. 173, Product Formulation and Raw Materials)
Food additive
Vitamins, minerals, herbs/botanicals, etc.
Functional Food and Beverages
Functional foods and beverages
Testing  for foods that have an ingredient, metabolite, constiuent, or extract  added in order to enhance the basic nutritional function
GMO Testing
Transgenic detection
Testing for presence of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in food and agricultural products
Indoor Air Health
Indoor air health
Consulting and copyright testing
Nonfood Compounds Registration
Non-food compound registration
Lubricants, cleaning agents and solvents, disinfectants and sanitizers
Residential Appliances
Household appliances and facilities
Residential dishwashers, clothes dryers, pot & pan washers