The Importance of NSF Certification in Food and Beverage Service

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/

What is co-packaging?

Contract packers aka “co-packaging,” are known for packaging food, household and other products for clients. Co-packaging varies in involvement as it is customized to the clients product. Co-packers provide services to product manufactures and often act as an extension for the company. Co-packers tasks can vary from as simple as adding a barcode sticker to designing, producing and fulfilling the entire package.

CONTRACT PACKAGING STAGES & SERVICES

There are varying stages of co-packaging services. Co-packaging manufacturers work with product managers and product manufacturers to consult, plan, customize and execute the process according to the timeline, pre-produced or need-to-be produced packaging components and industry requirements. Contract packaging services include:

  • Design: Co-packaging manufacturers often have an in-house design team to help design the final product packaging. This allows for trouble shooting with prototypes along the way to ensure products best fit the packaging and maximize overall production time.
  • Inventory Management / Control: Receiving and auditing inventory of the product and pre-produced packaging components (e.g. packaging, manuals, card stock, promo stickers, etc.)
  • Printing and Component Production: Sometimes packaging might include a card with artwork or a manual, which needs to be printed before inserted into a final package.
  • Plastic / Thermoform Packaging Production: Manufacturing of packaging, which can include the production of plastic / thermoformed packaging.
  • Package Assembly & Fulfillment: Carefully execute product fulfillment into the packaging. This often requires a defined sequence with careful handling of the product, accuracy of placement into the packaging, inclusion of any other required items, such as manuals, coupons, and product finishing – closing, sealing, sticker placement, etc.
  • Warehousing & Distribution: Organizing and storing / housing the packaged product

No matter what capacity of product packaging a product manufacturer or product manager has, simple or complex, a good contract packaging service provider will be with you every step of the way to ensure the product is delivered on time every time.

From leasing a space to buying equipment and hiring a workforce, it can add up to thousands of dollars. Co-packers have already made these infrastructure investments and are ready to take your products to the next level.

At Dure Foods, we can handle co-packaging products to your satisfaction. We will work with you to boost sales and grow your business.