Often when you are shopping for equipment or supplies for your foodservice kitchen, you will use NSF Certification as one of your requirements. NSF International is an independent organization that tests equipment from all different manufacturers to measure it against a set of standards that were created to ensure public safety. In foodservice, it is often thought of with regard to sanitation. When a product is NSF certified, you know that it has been thoroughly tested and it complies with safety standards that were established to protect and improve global health.
When you are reviewing different commercial food prep equipment as well as commercial food storage equipment, if the products are NSF certified, they will conform to the following safety standards.
All food contact and food-splash surfaces will be easy-to-reach and they will be easy for a person to clean. They will be made from non-toxic materials that are non-absorbent and will not corrode. They will also be non-reactive to food or cleaning supplies and materials. Additionally, they should not leave any odor, taste or color to food. All the edges of the equipment will be tightly sealed and rounded, as well as the corners. Additionally, they will be designed with solid and liquid waste traps that cannot be removed easily.
If you are shopping for any food storage equipment, such as shelving or dunnage, or commercial food prep equipment, like slicers or mixers, you should always consider NSF certification. Whenever you have any equipment that is worn out or no longer meets local heath codes, it’s time to replace it. These items will make it more difficult to adhere to a HACCP plan and can cause operational issues that causes you unnecessary risk.
