Article about food safety from around the world and in our own back yard.

The Importance of NSF Certification in Food and Beverage Service

in , /by

For a company to be successful in the food industry, trust between the company and the customer is essential. Any business can serve food, but the customer needs a certain amount of assurance that the food will be healthy, fresh and safe to eat. One of the ways for a food business to gain legitimacy is to receive a certification from the NSF. Businesses like Dure Foods are NSF certified because it is an important step in becoming established as trustworthy and professional.

What is NSF?

NSF, or National Sanitation Foundation is an organization built to set clear health standards for food products and companies that serve food. If you see an NSF label on the products of a company, it means that company is NSF approved. NSF approval means that the food and materials to make food are up to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) standards, passed any necessary safety tests, have accurate labelling and are guaranteed to be free of any dangerous chemicals. The NSF product check is done by health and safety professionals in over 180 countries.

Why an NSF approved co-packer is important

While a NSF approval is not mandatory for a food company, it represents a mark of legitimacy in terms of up to date safety regulations and commitment to the health of customers. It’s also very easy to be aware of; just looking at any food service product and finding an NSF label will tell you that the company has been verified by health and safety professionals. Just visiting the NSF website can allow you to search a food company to see if it is NSF approved, so getting the information is easy.

Getting certified by the NSF is also quite a difficult process for companies to go through. It requires steps such as lab testing, sampling of products and inspection of the area the food is made. It is also expensive, one test from the NSF can cost $1,500 or more. Since the process requires so much work on the part of the company, it goes to show just how important approval from NSF is. Companies like Dure Foods go through this process because they understand the importance of being officially labelled as safe for customers. NSF approval is important for co-packers because that label will give customers clear proof that the service they are purchasing can be trusted.

If you are looking to get involved with an NSF approved co-packer, give Dure Foods a call. We would love to talk to you about your project and see if it is a beneficial fit for both of us.

For more information, follow the link to visit our website: https://durefoods.com/

Developing a Custom Food Formula? Read This First

Developing a Custom Food Formula? Read This First

in /by

Are You Aware of What it Takes to Develop Safe Custom Food Products?

What is the Safe Food for Canadians Act?

It’s a piece of law that was enacted in 2012 to protect Canadian consumers. The Act provides regulations for custom food formulas and other edible products.

The goal of the Act is to:

  • Make edibles that are sold in Canada as safe as possible
  • Protect consumers by cracking down on food management practices deemed unsafe
  • Enables companies endangering the public to face harsher punishments
  • Makes it possible to control imports better
  • Enhances how easily we can trace our food
  • Standardizes the inspection standards for foods

Read more about the Act on the government’s site.

Does Canada have an FDA?

Canada has three core regulatory bodies that perform the same function as the FDA does in the United States.

The Department of Health Canada is responsible for setting the stands and regulations for custom food formulas and other edible products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for enforcing the rules that the Department of Health implements.

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada agency is responsible for new products entering the market.

Who is responsible for food safety in Canada?

Ultimately, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is the enforcement arm of the Department of Health. As a business, you’d have to deal with inspections from the CFIA.

Read more about the importance of these regulations and inspections here.

How is food regulated in Canada?

If you’re researching the regulations for custom food formulas, you’ll need to deal with the three agencies.

Health Canada sets the standards that companies must meet. These include food safety standards and the nutritional quality of foods. The Food Directorate operates under the umbrella of Health Canada.

The directorate is responsible for investigating the benefits and risks associated with the different food products. It follows strict scientific guidelines in reviewing the benefits and risks. Using this research, it helps Health Canada to set the standards.

The CFIA will be responsible for enforcing the regulations. They’ll be the ones knocking on your door to conduct food safety inspections. They also regulate the advertising, labelling, and packaging of food products.

Let’s say that you’re manufacturing a food supplement, for example. This agency will come knocking on your door if you make bogus claims or use unsafe packaging.

To get your supplement approved, you’ll need to apply to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. They’re quite a helpful agency, so it’s a good idea to work with them from the development stage. They’ll help you ensure that your product meets regulatory standards.

Final Notes

All these agencies work together to ensure that the food provided to Canadians is safe. Their work entails regulating the production process and everything that impacts the food. The packaging must be secure and must adequately protect the food.

Companies may not make unproven claims about their products. If they say that the product contains a certain amount of magnesium, for example, independent testing must back that up. Companies that flout the regulations face stiff penalties.

The regulations may seem excessive, but they protect the company as well. By ensuring that the food produced is safe, the company safeguards itself from potential civil action.