As part of our public health mission, NSF is working with the Canadian government to promote resources that provide information on COVID-19 vaccines and ongoing vaccine safety monitoring, an online self-assessment tool and other COVID-19 related apps.

These resources will help Canadians better navigate health protocols and curb the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination misinformation.

The resources are available in English and in French.

Access Resources

Newly issued Health Canada research license allows NSF Canada to legally develop and test cannabis (marijuana or marijuana-derived) edible products in Canada

GUELPH, Ontario – NSF Canada, an NSF company, recently received a cannabis research license under the Canadian Cannabis Act (the “Cannabis Act”). NSF Canada’s research license will permit the Canadian entity to offer innovation, process development and shelf-life testing services to makers of cannabis products manufactured and sold in Canada. The definition of “cannabis” under the Cannabis Act includes, among other things, the substance commonly referred to in the United States as “marijuana” or “marihuana,” as well as all other phytocannabinoids regardless of source, such as hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD).

“Applying our scientific expertise and decades of experience in testing and consultation, NSF Canada is uniquely positioned to assist food and beverage manufacturers and cannabis producers entering the edible cannabis market,” said Carol Zweep, Senior Manager of Packaging, Product Innovation and Compliance. 

Through its product development lab and pilot processing facility, NSF Canada can assist with feasibility testing, new product concept evaluation and marketing sample generation using technologies such as thermal processing, separation and homogenization. Given its extensive experience developing food and beverage products, NSF can also assist with: 

• Lab-scale trials to obtain optimal formulas and processes 
• Regulatory reviews to help ensure products comply with food labelling regulations 
• Shelf-life evaluation and extension by formulation, processing and/or packaging changes

As the industry is discovering, manufacturing edible cannabis poses a variety of challenges, including solubility, pH stability and thermal robustness. “Cannabis can present stability issues if not properly developed,” Zweep adds. “Utilizing NSF Canada’s product and process development services, manufacturers can better understand and control the quality of their new-to-market cannabis products.” 

NSF Canada’s cannabis-related offerings will focus on consulting services only. Neither NSF Canada nor any other NSF company offer certification of marijuana or marijuana-derived products at this time. In addition, products containing phytocannabinoids (whether derived from marijuana or hemp) are not eligible for certification or other services under NSF’s Certified for Sport® program at this time.

For more information on NSF Canada’s cannabis services and for media inquiries, please contact Lise Smedmor at lsmedmor@nsf.org or +1-519-821-1246 ext. 6436.

In response to COVID-19, NSF is offering online training through an expansive inventory of live, instructor-led webinars, virtual on-site and customized programs, and self-paced eLearning. Training topics include HACCP, food safety and quality, GFSI benchmarked standards, regulations, PCQI, food packaging and ISO standards.

Online learning provides the food and beverage industry with flexible alternatives to face-to-face training. Developed with a focus on quality, technical content and best practices in adult learning, programs offered by NSF allow each learner to gain new skills and expand current competencies through topical and relevant skills training. Our online, self-directed programming allows you to benefit from NSF’s engaging, interactive and technical programming while progressing at your own pace. 

NSF’s live, instructor-led webinars provide an opportunity for you to join industry peers from across the continent, ask questions of NSF’s expert technical trainers and benefit from virtual learning opportunities designed to expand and enhance your knowledge and skills. A full schedule of instructor-led webinars is offered each month, or can be delivered to your team at a time convenient for your business.

For more information, check out our current training schedule.

Businesses, schools and cultural institutions seek expert guidance and third-party validation of COVID-19 preventive measures

ANN ARBOR, Mich., U.S. – Global public health organization NSF today launched a new program to help businesses, schools and cultural institutions take the necessary steps to reopen and stay open while minimizing coronavirus risk for customers, guests and employees. NSF’s new Checked by NSF™ program includes a wide variety of services – from a smart phone app that details COVID-19 prevention requirements for specific types of business to in-depth consulting services and customized reopening plans based on the latest public health guidance.

“There’s no shortage of guidance from public health authorities,” said Paul Medeiros, Managing Director of NSF’s Consulting and Technical Services group. “People are swimming in guidance, but they need help operationalizing the guidance and applying it to their own unique situations.”

NSF is currently consulting with the Detroit Institute of Arts and Midtown Detroit, Inc. in Detroit, Mich., on COVID-19 prevention and reopening plans.

Separate from the guidance and consulting services, NSF also checks facilities to help ensure appropriate preventive measures are in place. The Checked by NSF™ service gives business owners and managers valuable data about their own preparedness for reopening and provides peace of mind to customers and visitors who may be concerned about exposure to the virus.

“The services are designed to be flexible because each business or location will have different needs and requirements,” Medeiros said. “For some clients, use of our app and an industry-specific checklist may be enough. But others are looking for more in-depth consultations on specific locations and issues. And some simply want us to check their locations to make sure they aren’t missing anything.”

Locations that successfully meet the requirements for each of three phases of the program will be granted permission to post the Checked by NSF™ signage on-site. Compliance checks are performed with self-assessments using the new Checked by NSF™ app, remote audits or on-site audits.

The three phases include required tasks and procedures for pre-open, reopen and stay open. A QR code on the signage helps customers validate the claims and understand what each location is doing to protect visitors and employees from COVID-19.

The three phases of the program cover the following requirements:

• Phase 1 (Pre-Open): Completion of phase 1 means the location has completed development of the required safety procedures, policies and plans.
• Phase 2 (Reopen): Completion of phase 2 means the location has successfully implemented the required safety procedures, policies and plans.
• Phase 3 (Stay Open): Completion of phase 3 means the location is successfully maintaining and improving the required safety procedures and policies.

“COVID-19 is new, but infection control and good hygiene requirements are not. NSF has been doing this sort of public health and safety work for 75 years,” Medeiros said.

For more information on Checked by NSF™ services, please contact NSFservices@nsf.org. For media inquiries, please contact Thomas Frey, APR, at media@nsf.org or call +1.743.214.6242.

These are uncertain and anxious times, so we want to assure you that NSF is taking proactive steps to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Our first priority is protecting the health and safety of our colleagues, clients and committee members while still providing valuable public health services to protect the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the products we use. In February 2020, we established an internal task force that meets daily to monitor the global situation and to discuss and implement appropriate actions at NSF, including travel restrictions and self-isolation protocols.

We are requiring all NSF auditors, consultants and other client-visiting staff to adhere to strict preventive measures that go above and beyond what is recommended by the U.S. CDC and the World Health Organization. This is our commitment to you and your colleagues:

• We will not visit any client if we have traveled to, from or through one of the restricted countries or any local government-restricted area in the past 14 days.
• We will stay home if we are sick.
• We will purchase a thermometer and check our temperature every morning to be sure we do not have a fever – a measured temperature of 99.5° F (37.5° C) or greater.
• We will bring a mask and wear it upon client request.
• We will wash our hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before or upon entering any client site.
• We will always sanitize our mobile phones and/or tablets before use during an audit.
• We will self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms daily.
• We will self-isolate immediately if we come in contact with anyone known to have a confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19.
• Before entering a client site, we will ask the following 4 questions:
  • Do you have anyone on the premises who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
  • Are you aware of any employees or recent visitors to your site who have visited one of the restricted countries (China, Italy, Republic of Korea, Iran) within the last 14 days?
  • Are there any public health travel restrictions – or impending restrictions – in your country or region that would prohibit me from traveling to your location?
  • Do you have any specific health and safety control measures that I need to be aware of prior to my visit?

While a properly trained auditor following the appropriate preventive measures does not present an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure for our clients, we recognize that many companies are limiting access to their locations. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, we want you to know that we are available to provide valuable services so you can continue to operate your business and protect you customers. NSF can provide scheduled desk audits as an alternative to our normal on-site facility audits. In some cases, we can even use wearable technology to conduct remote audits. Please talk to your account manager about solutions that might work for you.

We will continue to monitor the latest guidance from the World Health Organization and other public health authorities around the world. In the meantime, please take care of yourself, your co-workers and your family.

If you have questions, please send them to your account manager or nsfcanada.ca.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF Certification, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global public health organization NSF, is now accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to certify supplier compliance to U.S. food safety regulations under the FDA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification program.

Certification under NSF’s newly accredited import supplier certification program enhances market access for imports by confirming suppliers have implemented effective food safety control procedures. Food and animal feed producers and processors and produce growers are eligible for certification. The audit evaluates compliance with FSMA preventive controls and produce safety rules, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, and other applicable FDA regulations depending on the product and process being certified. Customer requirements can also be included in the audit.

“Since this FDA-recognized certification serves multiple purposes, it can potentially reduce the number of individual customer audits and ultimately improve confidence in the safety of food imports consumed in the United States,” said Carey Allen, Associate Managing Director of Supply Chain Food Safety Operations at NSF. “NSF engages with suppliers and their customers to reduce the overall audit burden and incorporate specific customer requirements into third-party certification visits.”

Certification to an FDA-recognized accredited third-party certification program, such as NSF’s import supplier certification program, is required for products imported under the FDA Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP), which is used to provide expedited entry into the United States. This certification is also accepted by the FDA as an option for supplier verification to satisfy the FSMA Supply-Chain Program and Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requirements.

“Third-party certification bodies serve an essential role in assuring the safety of the global food supply chain,” Allen said. “With nearly 75 years of industry experience in food safety, NSF helps suppliers successfully navigate FSMA requirements and provides importers with confidence that certified products are compliant with FDA regulations.”

For more information on NSF’s newly accredited import supplier certification program, please visit www.nsf.org/info/fsma or contact Carey Allen at callen@nsf.org. For media inquiries, please contact Lindsay Karpinskas at media@nsf.org or +1-734-773-4194.

NSF companies are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI-Accredited Product Certification Body – Accreditation #1181).

NSF is an independent, global organization that facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in more than 175 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

NSF provides expertise and accredited food services across all supply chain sectors, including agriculture, animal feed and welfare, produce, food processing, packaging manufacture, distribution, dairy, seafood, quality management software, retail and restaurants. Services include Global Food Safety Initiative, foodservice equipment and nonfood compounds certification, HACCP validation and inspection, label claims verification and certification, DNA and food package testing, product and process development and organic and Certified Transitional certification through Quality Assurance International (QAI). Separately, we offer expert consulting and training, including food fraud services.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., February 14, 2019 – NSF, a global public health and safety organization known for food safety and quality, launched new Global Animal Wellness Standards to address the full lifecycle of all key species and establish best practices for how animals are kept, raised and responsibly managed. The standards are the first of their kind in establishing a universal approach to animal health and wellness.

As the food industry becomes increasingly attuned to consumer and investor expectations and the high demand for transparent animal welfare practices, it’s becoming imperative for organizations to define, implement and measure proper management systems for animal health, welfare, handling and care. 

NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards establish best practices by benchmarking against global animal welfare regulations and domestic animal welfare regulatory requirements, industry standards and codes of practices. Inspired by the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare and consistent with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards establish clear criteria to verify robust animal wellness management systems for beef and dairy cattle, poultry (including egg-laying), small ruminants and hogs. The standards are globally applicable, as they account for variability in regulatory requirements and variations in consumer pressure. Key areas include:  

• Animal sources, health and safety 
• Design, maintenance and protection in animal environment, facilities and equipment 
• Animal handling, husbandry and management commitment to animal wellness culture 
• Feed and water

Developed by NSF, the Global Animal Wellness Standards were reviewed by an independent panel representing industry, academia and regulatory authorities. Technical experts from Canada, the U.S., the UK and South America were selected for their expertise including Dr. Temple Grandin, a Colorado State University animal science professor and livestock consultant. Dr. Grandin directly contributed to the review of the NSF Religious Slaughter standards, a component of the Global Animal Wellness Standards.

To achieve compliance, a facility must establish, document and implement an animal welfare management system. The standards have three tiers so there is opportunity for specifying customers to bring suppliers on board at the baseline, but encourage growth and development to achieve higher levels of compliance. The baseline level provides an entry point for farms or facilities in developing markets where practices have not yet been formalized. The next tier is “assurance” and provides specifiers with confidence that suppliers are operating with best practices in animal wellness. The third and highest tier is “certification” which demonstrates total commitment and compliance. All levels require independent audits to verify compliance and include zero tolerance for animal abuse, mistreatment or neglect.

“Animal welfare is an issue that impacts the agricultural and food production industry across the globe,” said Robert Prevendar, Global Managing Director of Supply Chain Food Safety at NSF. “NSF’s Global Animal Wellness Standards are designed to be relevant in every country, region and market. The standards ensure specifiers, facilities and producers that a strong, consistent animal wellness system is instituted wherever animals and animal products are sourced.” 

NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards are a key component of the comprehensive animal wellness services provided by NSF, which include testing, sustainability services, claim verifications and, separately, training and consulting. 

For more information on NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards, please visit http://www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/food-safety-quality/animal-feed-welfare/animal-welfare, or contact Mike Kelty at kelty@nsf.org. For media inquiries, please contact Lindsay Karpinskas at media@nsf.org or +1-734-773-4194. 

NSF (nsf.org) is an independent, global organization that facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in more than 175 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

NSF provides expertise and accredited food services across all supply chain sectors, including agriculture, animal feed and welfare, produce, processing, distribution, dairy, seafood, quality management software, retail and restaurants. Services include Global Food Safety Initiative, foodservice equipment and nonfood compounds certification, HACCP validation and inspection, label claims verification and certification, DNA and food package testing, product and process development, and organic and Certified Transitional certification through Quality Assurance International (QAI). Separately, we offer expert consulting and training, including food fraud services.

GUELPH, Ontario, (November 12) – NSF, a global public health organization, announces the winners of the NSF 2018 Food Safety Recognition Awards. The awards recognize Canadian food and beverage companies and individuals that have made great contributions to food safety, whether by leading food safety efforts within an organization, contributing to advances in food safety science or engaging in food safety public education and action.

This year’s winners are:

• Food Safety Leadership Award – Gordon Hayburn, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality, Trophy Foods, Mississauga, Ontario
  In his current role, Hayburn leads the company’s food safety efforts and the team responsible for Trophy Foods’ AA+ BRC rating at its Mississauga and Calgary facilities. He is being recognized not only for his contributions and leadership at Trophy Foods, but for his contributions to the broader food industry. Gordon’s commitment to food safety is demonstrated through his academic involvement, regular speaking engagement at conferences across the globe and his work as an approved BRC trainer
• Food Safety Excellence Award – Maple Lodge Farms, Brampton, Ontario
  Maple Lodge Farms is Canada’s largest independently owned poultry processor. Maple Lodge Farms is being recognized for its positive food safety culture and the leadership role it’s taking on influencing food safety policy and issues. ​​​​
  
  Healthcare Food Services in Ottawa, Ontario was a runner-up for the Food Safety Excellence Award.

“There are many food safety success stories in Canada and we created these awards as a mechanism for sharing and celebrating those achievements,” said Paul Medeiros, Managing Director of NSF’s Food Safety Consulting and Technical Services in North America. “The NSF Canadian Food Safety Recognition Awards recognize and encourage excellence and innovation in management practices, leadership, processes and technologies that advance food safety in Canada.”

Each year, an independent panel of food safety experts from academia, industry and the regulatory community reviews nominations from across Canada to select the recipients. Nominations are evaluated on the basis of excellence and leadership in the advancement of food safety.

To learn more about the awards criteria and view this year’s winners, please visit NSF’s Canada website.

For more information, and for photos of this year’s winners, please contact Lise Smedmor at lsmedmor@nsf.org or 519-821-1246, ext. 6436.

About NSF: NSF (nsf.org) is an independent, global organization that facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. 

NSF’s global food services provide expertise and accredited services across all supply chain sectors, including agriculture, animal feed and welfare, produce, processing, distribution, seafood, quality management software, retail and restaurants. NSF’s food services in Canada include food safety and quality consulting, auditing and certification, training, quality and technical services, and innovative solutions for the food and beverage industry to help leading processors and manufacturers improve their people, process and products (nsfcanada.ca). 

Safe Food for Canadians Licences now Available for Food Businesses 

Food business owners across Canada can now apply for a licence under the new Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The cost for each licence is $250 and is valid for 2 years. For more information, please visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s online portal at My CFIA. 

NSF can help you prepare for the implementation of the new regulations that are now in force.

Food Safety Consulting
We can:

• Review your association model food safety program for compliance
• Develop an industry-specific preventive control program
• Develop and recommend appropriate industry-specific validation protocols 
• Develop and recommend an appropriate environmental monitoring plan

Training & Education
Our training services help you:

• Understand the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)
• Adapt your existing HACCP plan to meet SFCR preventive control plan requirements
• Develop a preventive control plan
• Ensure food defense
• Understand traceability

Technical Services
Our technical services include:

• Label compliance review
• Shelf-life testing
• Product package testing
• Validation and challenge studies
• Product and process innovation

For more information about these services, contact nsfcanada@nsf.org.

Are You Ready? 

Let NSF technical experts ensure you comply with the new regulations. Don’t wait, it’s coming into force January 15, 2019. 

Let us help you prepare now!

The final Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) was published in Canada Gazette, Part II on June 13, 2018. The legislation and proposed regulations will improve Canada’s food safety system and allow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to create a stronger, more consistent and preventive system with a risk-based inspection model.

Canadian Agricultural Partnership Upcoming Deadlines

Intake #3

Application Deadline: Thursday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m. 
AAC Board Review Date: Thursday, September 13

Intake #4

Pre-proposal Deadline: Wednesday, October 3
Application Deadline: Thursday, October 18 at 4:30 p.m. 
AAC Board Review Date: Wednesday, December 5

Visit the Canadian Agricultural Partnership page to learn more.

For further information, contact us today.