SHANGHAI, CHINA – NSF International , a global not-for-profit public health and safety organization, has opened its new NSF Shanghai Testing Laboratory in Shanghai, China, expanding its services in Asia to include testing in the areas of food equipment, dietary supplements and ingredients and consumer products. Additionally, the facility and staff will provide on-site training in the areas of food safety, pharmaceutical, medical device and dietary supplement manufacturing.

The NSF Shanghai Testing Laboratory-or NSF Shanghai Testing Technology Company-will complement NSF’s existing certification services in China and provide companies with a means to source safer products, raw materials and ingredients from Asia through independent, third-party testing and certification.

The NSF Shanghai Testing Laboratory will work in harmony with NSF Shanghai Co., Ltd., a joint venture NSF International established with the Shanghai Audit Centre of Quality System (SAC) in 2005, and is approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA). Manufacturers and suppliers in China require independent system registration and product certification in order to access international markets. NSF helps companies navigate the global marketplace and bridge Western companies with the Asia market.

The new NSF Shanghai Testing lab will provide testing capabilities that can then be used by the NSF Shanghai Co., Ltd. joint venture to support product certification for companies in China, making food equipment, dietary supplements and other consumer products. This certification helps companies streamline the import/export process. The NSF Shanghai Co, Ltd. joint venture also offers management systems certifications (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949), and global food safety certification.

The new NSF Shanghai Testing Laboratory will offer chemical analysis and engineering evaluation services in support of NSF’s certification programs. It also will offer test-only services. The current services include:

Food Equipment testing: Food equipment will be tested and evaluated to U.S. and international standards for sanitation, product design and construction, material safety, and performance.

Dietary supplements and ingredients, food and food ingredient testing, pharmaceutical testing and excipients testing: Dietary supplements and ingredients will be tested for pesticide residues, heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium) and other trace contaminants and to verify raw ingredient identification, including botanicals. Food and food ingredients will be tested for contaminants, identity testing and more. Excipients (filling materials) used to manufacture dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients will be tested for heavy metal and other trace contaminants.

Consumer product testing: Consumer products (such as food storage containers, cutlery and glassware, and small appliances) will be tested and evaluated according to NSF protocols and international standards to verify the safety of materials used to manufacture the product; quality and performance. This testing confirms product durability and verifies that the product will perform as claimed on its packaging.