This year, NSF introduced a series of major initiatives, including regulatory compliance training for the dietary supplement industry at SupplySide West and the launch of Specialist Market Insight
NSF, a global leader in public health and safety, commemorated its 80th anniversary in 2024, celebrating its evolution since its founding in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation. Over the decades, NSF has become a pioneering force in standards development, product certification, and regulatory compliance, serving industries, governments, and consumers in over 180 countries.
This year, NSF introduced a series of major initiatives, including regulatory compliance training for the dietary supplement industry at SupplySide West and the launch of Specialist Market Insight, an innovative service integrating industry expertise and market intelligence to help brands navigate compliance and market challenges.
In September, as the United States marks National Organic Month, NSF underscored the importance of choosing organic products. Quality Assurance International (QAI), an NSF company and a leading organic certification body, is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2024. Over the past three and a half decades, QAI has been a trusted leader in organic certification, ensuring that consumers can confidently choose products that meet the highest standards of organic integrity.
Also in September, NSF provided a comprehensive GMP and regulatory compliance training program for dietary supplement professionals at SupplySide West 2024. NSF has been offering training at SupplySide West and Food Ingredients North America since 2013. This year, NSF once again served as the official trainer, offering a range of classroom-based courses focused on dietary supplement GMPs and regulatory compliance, held on October 28th and 29th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
In August, NSF’s Information Security team attended the Cybersecurity Summit in Detroit, held at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Centre. The summit provided a platform for NSF’s team to engage with industry professionals, discuss challenges, and explore opportunities for supporting cybersecurity needs. It also allowed NSF to strengthen connections within the Detroit metro area, home to the organisation’s headquarters.
That same month, NSF introduced Specialist Market Insight, a service powered by RegASK, which integrates industry expertise with market intelligence to help brands expand and launch products by overcoming legal and compliance hurdles. This service begins by understanding and defining brand requirements and offers a customised guidebook detailing regulations on authorities, registration processes, import procedures, and labelling requirements.
In July, the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) approved NSF Shanghai as a key location for supporting the NSF/ANSI 455 and NSF/ANSI 173 certification programs. This accreditation extension allows NSF to provide additional certification services in China and the Asia Pacific, enhancing companies’ ability to achieve facility and product certification with the local NSF team.
Also in July, NSF Asia Pacific participated in THAIFEX HOREC Asia 2024, a premier trade show for Bangkok, Thailand’s food and hospitality industry. Sponsored by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd., the event showcased groundbreaking innovations transforming the sector.
In June, NSF announced a partnership with BlueConduit, a pioneer in predictive modelling for lead service line (LSL) removal. This collaboration will allow NSF to offer BlueConduit’s LSL solutions to water utilities across the United States, helping accelerate the removal of lead service lines more efficiently.
In May, NSF launched NSF P535: Drinking Water Treatment Units – Filtration in China. This protocol establishes minimum requirements for the safety and performance of point-of-use (POU) water filters. Certification to NSF P535 ensures that products meet strict material and performance standards.
In the same month, NSF inaugurated its new European headquarters in Brussels. The state-of-the-art facility in Diegem reflects NSF’s commitment to the European market and enhances its ability to serve Europe’s water and food industries. The opening ceremony was attended by NSF’s board of directors and President and CEO Pedro Sancha.
In April, NSF began offering Proposition 12 (Prop 12) certification to American meat and egg distributors supplying products in California. Prop 12, an animal welfare law enacted on January 1, 2024, sets higher standards for confining farm animals. Certification ensures distributors comply with California’s stringent animal welfare requirements.
In March, NSF acquired PSILab, Inc, a Colorado-based laboratory specialising in plastic pipe testing and consulting. The acquisition gives NSF clients access to expanded testing services, including material properties and large-diameter pipe testing, failure analysis, and plastic pipe consulting.
Also in March, NSF launched NSF 229 Nutritional Supplements Product Certification (NSF 229 PCCN) in China. This certification program is based on China’s national food safety standards and meets industry best practices. It aims to support China’s growing nutritional supplement industry by providing high-quality product certification.
In the energy drinks sector, Zoa Energy, co-founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, introduced ZOA+ Powder, a pre-workout supplement catered to athletes, available in Fruit Punch, Wild Berry, and Cherry Lime flavours.
In February, NSF shared research on U.S. consumer attitudes toward animal welfare and its impact on purchasing decisions. The study revealed that 67 per cent of respondents view animal welfare as extremely important, while 68 per cent prioritise transparency and compliance in global supply chains.
In the same month, NSF released a report analysing consumer behaviours surrounding water filtration, revealing that trust in water filters is at an all-time high. According to a survey conducted by Aquasana, 91 per cent of Americans use water filters, a 25 per cent increase since 2020.
