New safety standards set for cookware products

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Cookware Manufacturers Association (CMA) has partnered with NSF International, an independent global organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries, to provide quality and safety standards for cookware and other consumer products.



NSF International recently launched its Home Products Certification (HPC) Program, to independently verify the performance, quality and material safety of consumer products including kitchen appliances, cookware, bakeware, food storage containers, utensils, cutlery and other home products. NSF scientists, consumer product safety experts, manufacturers and retailers all worked together as a qualified panel to develop scientifically sound testing and evaluation protocols for each product category.



CMA brings its extensive expertise in the cookware industry to the partnership by participating in the protocol development panel that develops and reviews NSF Home Product Certification protocols. CMA fully supports NSF’s HPC program as part of a greater industry effort to demonstrate the quality and safety of cookware and bakeware products to consumers, as well as helping retailers identify safer, NSF certified brands.



“NSF developed this program to streamline regulatory and retail-specific requirements, simplify testing and to expedite time to market. The program requirements are comprehensive enough to be used by multiple retailers, which can reduce overall testing costs for manufacturers,” said Sarah Krol, general manager of consumer products for NSF International.



The program include blenders, coffee makers, cutlery, servingware, utensils and toasters.