NSF Continues USDA White Book Program

ANN ARBOR, MI – NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company (www.nsf.org) recently launched a replacement program to the former USDA authorization program for Proprietary Substances and Nonfood Compounds used in food processing plants. The USDA announced its intent to discontinue the program in February, 1998, over a 2 year phase out. The NSF Nonfood Compounds Registration Program commenced in December, 1999, and to-date has received over 100 applications. Manufacturers of new products and formulations now have a credible mechanism to demonstrate product safety to processors, customers and inspectors. This new program includes several enhancements to the former USDA program, including continuous stakeholder involvement through User and Industry Forums, electronic submissions, on-line listings, and free downloadable guidelines documents. The basis for product registrations continues to rely on formulation and label reviews, as well as testing for a few select categories.

Proprietary substances are products used in pre-processing of foods, such as marking agents, scalding agents, and denaturants. Nonfood compounds are products used in and around food processing areas, but not intended to become a component of food, such as cleaning chemicals, sanitizers, pesticides, lubricants, and much more. NSF regularly solicits comments from its stakeholders, which includes manufacturers, users, trade associations, and regulatory agencies, to ensure that all stakeholders' needs are met.

The first lubricants registrants include Shell International, CRC Industries, Inc., Chemie-Technik GmbH, Behnke Lubricants, Inc., and FMC Corporation. Among the other product categories, registrants include Silikal Resin Systems for floor coatings, BBJ Environmental for antimicrobials, Montgomery Manufacturing Company for a general cleaner, and Astro Products for a scalding agent. An electronic listing of more registered products can be found at http://www.nsf.org/usda.

Products that receive NSF registration will bear the following NSF Mark, along with a product registration number on the product packaging. This Mark will be a convenient way for manufacturers, users, HACCP plan administrators, and regulators to identify which products are appropriate for use, without requiring disclosure of confidential formulation information on product labels and literature.

For more information about the Nonfood Compounds Registration Program, visit our website at http://www.nsf.org/usda, or email Nancy Sachs at nonfood@nsf.org.

NSF certifies and tests more than 130,000 products in 82 countries worldwide. Manufacturers and regulators in the U.S. and abroad rely on NSF as the world leader in sanitation safety. In fact, NSF is the only company that has earned designation as a Collaborating Centre by the World Health Organization for both Food Safety and Drinking Water Safety and Treatment. The company maintains offices and laboratories in Ann Arbor, MI; Sacramento, CA; Washington D.C.; Brussels, Belgium; and Cairo, Egypt.