Leveraging Your NSF Certification: Now that you've received NSF Certification ... why not leverage the Mark to your advantage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2009
CONTACTS: Greta Houlahan
NSF International
Phone: (734) 913-5723
Email: houlahan@nsf.org
Mark Reynolds
Premium Waters, Inc.
Phone: (612) 379-4141
Email: mark.reynolds@premiumwaters.com
Premium Waters Also First to Receive Highest Level of SQF Certification – Level 3
ANN ARBOR, Mich. and MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — NSF International today announced that Premium Waters, Inc. is the first company to receive both NSF Bottled Water Certification and Level 3 Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certification. With safety top of mind throughout the food and water industries, Premium Waters, Inc., a leader in the bottled water industry, has made it a priority as well.
The NSF Bottled Water Certification program is a comprehensive program that involves conducting extensive product testing and unannounced bottling facility audits, which encompass every aspect of the operation from water source to the filling room. The NSF audit verifies compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements and Codex Alimentarius guidelines. NSF laboratory professionals perform extensive product testing for over 160 chemicals, inorganic, radiological and microbiological contaminants.
In addition to obtaining NSF Bottled Water Certification, Premium Waters also received the highest level of SQF certification – Level 3. Recognized under the Global Food Safety Initiative1 (GFSI)-benchmarked standards, SQF is designed to verify a supplier’s food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations. NSF International is recognized by the SQF Institute as an approved certification body and accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to provide SQF certifications.
Premium Waters completed SQF Level 3 certification after implementing “best practices” in comprehensive quality systems, building on the work done in 2008 to reach Level 2. This progression demands integration of food safety and quality, built upon the foundation of HACCP, and continues to underscore Premium Waters’ leadership in food safety and quality management. The levels of certification include:
Level 1 and Level 2 certifications are prerequisites to achieving a Level 3 SQF certificate. All of Premium Waters plants have received SQF certification, including: Kansas City, KS; Fort Worth, TX; Chippewa Falls, WI; Quincy, IL; Greeneville, TN; and Douglas, GA. These plants were all certified in the fourth quarter of 2008.
“Investing in food safety and quality assurance is essential,” said Greg Nemec, Premium Waters President. “Consumers want peace of mind that the products they purchase have met the proper quality and safety requirements and obtaining SQF Level 3 certification, in addition to NSF bottled water certification helps verify this process.”
In order to receive SQF certification, Premium Waters’ plants were audited by NSF International to verify that their products have been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to internationally-recognized SQF requirements. This process helps to minimize food safety risks by incorporating: GMPs, HACCP, training, traceability and a quality and safety management system that verifies ongoing compliance.
“Premium Waters has achieved a major milestone by combining the certification of their management systems (SQF) with the certification of their bottled water product line. This combination assures customers and retailers that every aspect of beverage quality has been addressed to ensure confidence in the products sold,” said Chris Dunn, General Manager of NSF’s Bottled Water/Beverage Certification Program.
For more information on NSF bottled water certification, click here. For more information on SQF certification offered by NSF, please visit NSF's SQF Web page or contact David Kirkpatrick at 734-827-5654 or dkirkpatrick@nsf.org.
To view Premium Waters’ bottled water certification listing, visit NSF’s Web site or to view the company’s SQF certification, click here. Premium Waters’ SQF Level 2 press release is available in NSF’s newsroom.
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. NSF’s Bottled Water and Beverage Certification Program is an annual, voluntary certification process that includes both extensive product evaluations, as well as on-site audits of bottling facilities. This process includes annual unannounced plant inspections covering every aspect of a bottler's operation, from the source of the water, through the disinfection and treatment process, and including the container closure process. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.
About Premium Waters, Inc.: Premium Waters, Inc., solely owned by the Chesterman Company who has been in the bottling business for over 130 years, is one of the largest producers of private label bottled water in the USA (www.premiumwaters.com). Premium Waters bottles water for commercial, residential and retail clients in multiple sizes ranging from single serve sizes to five gallon bottles. Premium Waters also bottles a number of branded items including Chippewa Springs, Kandiyohi, Natures Crystal and Glacier Clear.
1 The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is coordinated by CIES - The Food Business Forum, launched May 2000.
