NSF Certification LLC, Ann Arbor, Mich., said it is now accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to certify supplier compliance to U.S. food safety regulations under FDA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification program.

Certification under NSF’s 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, as well as produce growers, are eligible for certification. The audit evaluates compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) preventive controls and produce safety rules, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles, and other applicable FDA regulations, depending on the product and process being certified, NSF Certification said. 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 International.

Certification conducted by an FDA-accredited third party such as NSF is required for imported products with expedited entry, which are brought in under the FDA Voluntary Qualified Importer Program. The FDA also accepts NSF’s certification as an option for supplier verification to satisfy the FSMA Supply-Chain Program and Foreign Supplier Verification Program requirements.