WHAT IS NSF?
There’s a good chance you’ve seen the NSF mark, heard of the certification, or may even carry or use adhesives/ sealants (as well as other products and materials) that bear the NSF-Certified mark. But, what exactly does this certification mean, and what does it mean for you.
NSF International is an independent, internationally recognized, non-profit organization committed to public health, and has been certifying products & writing international standards for food, water, and consumer goods for over 60 years.
WHAT IS NSF-CERTIFICATION?
NSF certification is a voluntary product certification in foodservice that addresses sanitary requirements, certifying that food service equipment is designed and constructed in a way that promotes food safety. NSF Certified products undergo rigorous, strict, and regular testing & auditing. The certification process consists of:
- A physical evaluation of the product to ensure it meets prescribed food safety standards.
- Testing and evaluation is performed on the materials used to make the product to make sure they meet prescribed standards.
- The facility and product must also undergo annual follow up audits to maintain certification.
When a product has been NSF certified, you can feel confident that the product(s) have passed a stringent set of evaluations to ensure food safety requirements/standards are met. Some common food service equipment that is certified by NSF include (but are not limited to) commercial dishwashers, cooking, transporting equipment, commercial refrigerators and freezers, automatic ice making machinery, and food display units.
NSF CERTIFIED SEALANTS & ADHESIVES
It is important (and sometimes required) to ensure the components used in the manufacture, installation, maintenance, and repair of foodservice products are also NSF Certified so as to maintain the product certification’s integrity.
Sealants & adhesives, particularly silicone, are integral components of the manufacture, installation, maintenance, and repair of dishwashers, commercial refrigerators and freezers, transporting equipment, food display units, heating elements, ductwork such as exhaust vents & range hoods, and many other foodservice products that NSF certifies.
NSF certified sealants & adhesives are food safe sealants, meaning they do not cause food borne illnesses when they come into contact with food and/or drinks.
Everkem Diversified products is proud to offer our TruSil 100 product family and our Hi-Temp Silicone as NSF Certified Sealants / Adhesives. You can view our listing on the NSF website here, or view our individual certifications by browsing through our Technical Documentation dropdown, located at the top of every page.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
First and foremost, carrying or using an NSF Certified sealant or adhesive ensures that you & your business are doing your part in promoting food safety. Our TruSil100 family of products, as well as our Hi-Temp Silicone, for example – must undergo a stringent review of its material makeup and manufacturing process, as well as a performance evaluation; our production facility also must be inspected. Following the certification, our TruSil 100 family of products & Hi-Temp Silicone would regularly undergo audits to ensure they continue to meet the highest standards for sanitation and safety.
The NSF logo on our Hi-Temp Silicone and TruSil 100 line of silicone sealants means that the product is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, federal, and international levels. As a result, using our NSF Certified TruSil100 and NSF Certified Hi-Temp Silicone let you rest assured that our silicone sealants not only meet safety requirements, but delivers a high quality, independently certified final product.
Secondly, a sealant or adhesive certified by NSF can be used in a wider array of applications (food service) than other, non-certified, sealants and adhesives. Some of these applications include the manufacture, installation, maintenance, and repair of:
REFRIGERATION UNITS & FREEZERS
Walk-in coolers
Meat lockers
Ice machines
COOKING EQUIPMENT
Range hoods
Exhaust vents
Encapsulation of heating elements
Griddles
Smokers
Grills
KITCHEN APPLICATIONS
Sinks
Countertops
Tiles
Drains
FOOD TRANSPORT MANUFACTURE & REPAIR
Concession
Catering
Meat/Poultry
Vending trucks
Produce transport trucks
Everkem Diversified Products offers TruSil 100 in an array of common colors, as well as mildew resistant formulations. For higher temperature applications, our Hi-Temp Silicone can withstand temperatures up to 600°F.
This increase in number of approved applications makes TruSil 100 and our Hi-Temp Silicone more versatile than other, non-NSF-Certified adhesives/sealants.
